Cuba struggles with shortages of medical supplies June 13, 1997
Web posted at: 8:57 p.m. EDT (0057 GMT) In this story: From Havana Bureau Chief Lucia Newman HAVANA (CNN) -- At the Juan Manuel Marquez children's hospital, cancer patients fight for their lives. A 6-year-old girl's cancer is in remission, yet she is in danger of dying from severe heart complications that doctors say could have been avoided. She needed access to a drug that protects the heart muscle from the toxic effects of the aggressive chemotherapy treatment she received. Streaming Videos: "It is a drug that we've never been able to obtain, because it is not sold to our country. And to try and get it, we must go through a third country," said oncologist Dr. Noel Ward. "And even then, we've been unsuccessful because there are strict controls over pharmaceutical companies that are subsidiaries of American companies." At another children's hospital that specializes in heart surgery, the director struggles to obtain a life-saving drug produced in the United States. "Our country needs 200 or 300 doses of this drug a year, and we have a hard time buying it from the U.S.," said Dr. Diana Matinez, director of the William Soler Hospital. "So we have to buy it in third countries at three or four times its original cost." The dilemma these doctors face is reflected in two reports, one by the American Association for World Health and the other by the University of South Florida. The extensive studies conclude that the U.S. economic embargo, which restricts the sale of medicine and medical equipment to Cuba, is having a direct and negative impact on the health of Cuban citizens. Medicine and even simple equipment such as an oxygen tent are in critically short supply, say the studies, as a result of tough U.S. legislation passed in 1992. The law obliges U.S. pharmaceutical companies and their overseas subsidiaries to obtain a special license to sell to Cuba. The world medical market is largely dominated by U.S. companies. Sale of food to Cuba by U.S. corporations is also banned. That, according to the studies, has contributed to malnutrition, making the population more vulnerable to illness. Cuban health authorities, who have long pointed to Cuba's universal health system as one of the top achievements of the revolution, downplay aspects of the reports that point to a major health crisis. "We can't say that there are more deaths from diseases because of our lack of resources, because we've scrounged to get them," said Health Minister Carlos Dotres. "But they aren't the necessary resources for the development of our health system and the well-being of our population." Cuba says it must spend an additional $20 million a year it can't afford, circumventing the U.S. embargo, to buy spare parts for outdated medical equipment and medicine from other countries, which often charge a premium for shipping to Cuba. Even though U.S. companies can sell directly, critics say cumbersome U.S. license requirements act as an effective deterrent. "That costs them money and legal exposure to carry out the necessary investigation, legal investigation, into what the rules and regulations are, which are just huge and rather complex," said Dr. Anthony Kirkpatrick of the University of South Florida. "So rather than sell to this small country down here," he said, gesturing, "they would rather sell to a country like China where there isn't all that bureaucratic red tape." The U.S. State Department defends its policy, saying: "Cuba's economy is in disarray as a direct result of its government's continued adherence to a discredited Communist economic model. This decline has directly affected the health of ordinary Cubans." Still, the U.S. government said it is taking steps to allow simplified compliance with license requirements. It's a move that could make it easier for patients to get the drugs and other medical help they need. Related stories: Related sites: © 1997 Cable News Network, Inc.
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