From our Bureau of Radical Responses to Life in a Socialist Utopia with some assistance from our Bureau of Socialist Health Care Statistics
Fleeing to the U.S. in a rustic vessel is not the only way to escape from Castrogonia. Some Cubans — apparently a very high number — simply choose to kill themselves.
Yes, in Latrine America’s most beloved socialist utopia, suicide is so common that it is one of the leading causes of death on the island. Accidents rank higher, and those figures have been on the rise lately, probably due to the lack of ambulances (see earlier post).
And . . . never forget that the Ministry of Health is overseen by the Ministry of Truth, as are all ministries in Castrogonia. This means that real statistics are always far worse than whatever the Ministry of Truth chooses to divulge.
Loosely translated from Periódico Cubano
Among the 10 main causes of death in Cuba are suicide and accidents, whose incidence rate was the only one that increased (+1.6) in 2022 compared to the previous year, as recognized by the Minister of Public Health (MINSAP), José Ángel Portal Miranda, during the annual balance of the sector.
Main causes of death in Cuba (rate per 100,000 inhabitants)
Heart disease (296.5)
Malignant tumors (227.3)
Cerebrovascular diseases (102.7)
Influenza and pneumonia (93)
Accidents (51.6)
Chronic diseases of the lower respiratory tract
Diseases of the arteries, arterioles and capillaries
Mellitus diabetes
Cirrhosis and other chronic conditions of the liver,
Self-inflicted injuries (suicides)According to the head of the sector, the year 2022 was “marked by a lack of financing” that prevented having basic resources such as an ambulance, whose coverage only reaches 39.6%, and the basic list of medicines, whose production was limited due to the lack of imported raw material. However, in the opinion of the minister, this is the fault of the “intensification of the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the Government of the United States”.
Other figures that reflect the declining panorama of Public Health in Cuba is the decrease in life expectancy. In the 2018-2020 period, 77.70 years were recorded, which represents a worsening compared to the 78.07 years that were in the 2014-2016 period.
As for the sexes, there is a difference, since the life expectancy of women is usually 80.15 years on average, while in men it is 75.36 years.
Regarding the state of construction of medical offices, it was recognized that 29% is classified between regular and poor condition, a figure consistent with the country’s housing fund, practically in ruins due to lack of maintenance.
The bleak picture also includes deficiencies in hospital care. Portal Miranda said that during the evaluation period there were “weaknesses derived from management, organizational and resource problems. The demand for elective services in hospitals was not met and sometimes work was not done with proper adherence to the protocols”.
On the other hand, “compliance with hygienic-sanitary regulations was evidenced in some centers, which conditioned the appearance of Infections Associated with Health Care (IAAS) and the occurrence of institutional outbreaks, with particular incidence in the Maternal and Child Care Program” .