From our Bureau of Socialist Latrine American Medical Powerhouses
Systematic biosafety violations have created a health crisis in the eastern Cuban city of Holguin, where dozens of hemodialysis patients have contracted Hepatitis C. One of these has already died (photo above). There is no information on exactly how many have been infected or on their condition. But the fact that those infected are on hemodialysis indicates that they were already in poor health and more vulnerable to the devastating effects of Hepatitis C.
Castro, Inc.’s Ministry of Health and Ministry of Truth are keeping this story under wraps, but thanks to some whistleblowers at two hospitals, the story is now attracting attention on social media.
Poor hygiene is common in Cuban hospitals, and this situation has probably worsened due to current shortages in cleaning supplies, but outbreaks like this don’t always make the news. The only unusual aspect of this story, then, is the fact that courageous whistleblowers have dared to reveal its occurrence.
Abridged and loosely translated from CubaNet
One person has died and dozens have been infected with hepatitis C due to violations of biosafety measures during the hemodialysis procedure in two healthcare centers in Holguin. Friends of the deceased victim, patients and health workers from the “Lucía Íñíguez Landín” Clinical Surgical Hospital and the “Vladimir Ilich Lenin” University Hospital confirmed to CubaNet, on condition of anonymity, the high incidence of infections in both health centers.
Dianet Betancourt Pérez, 39, from Holguin, died on April 15 at the Clinical Surgical Hospital after contracting hepatitis C during her usual hemodialysis procedure, confirmed sources related to the case.
A source close to the victim told CubaNet that, although “there were 16 people infected with hepatitis C, she could not stand it because while she was hospitalized she caught a fungus and died.” However, a hospital doctor who asked to protect her identity told this outlet that the number of infected patients was “much higher.”
“They say that a patient from I don’t know which municipality was infected with hepatitis C and was the one who brought the virus. Could it be that these machines don’t sterilize them?” asks the person close to the deceased.
According to the criteria of Holguin nephrologists from both hospitals ?consulted on condition of anonymity to avoid reprisals against them? the infections are due to systematic violations of biosafety regulations.
Hepatitis can become chronic and lead to fatal complications. The most frequent causes of infection with this type of virus are unsafe injection practices, no or poor sterilization of medical equipment or the reuse of needles and syringes, as well as blood transfusions and blood products that have not been correctly analyzed.
Whole story HERE in Spanish