Among those affected is 34-year-old Irisleydis Tristá, a resident of Batabanó, about 70 kilometers (43 miles) south of Havana. After undergoing two surgeries and several rounds of radiation therapy for a tumor, she told the AP she has spent the past seven months waiting for a CT scan because the scanner at Havana’s Hermanos Ameijeiras Hospital is out of service.

Tristá said doctors informed her they currently lack the resources needed to perform another operation, leaving uncertainty over whether her cancer has progressed.

Hospitals Face Equipment and Supply Shortages

According to the AP, hospitals across Cuba have reported shortages of medical supplies including syringes, gauze, vaccines and anesthetics. Healthcare facilities have also struggled to obtain replacement parts needed to repair critical equipment such as CT scanners and hemodialysis machines.

The report noted that shortages of food have further complicated care for some patients who require specialized diets during treatment.

Cuba has also experienced the departure of significant numbers of medical specialists and technicians, adding further pressure to the healthcare system.

Energy Crisis Adds Pressure

Analysts cited by the AP said the healthcare challenges have been intensified by fuel shortages linked to tighter U.S. sanctions affecting Cuba’s energy sector, worsening economic conditions that had already deteriorated following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The report said the Trump administration has called on Cuba’s socialist government to implement major economic reforms and governance changes in exchange for easing sanctions.

According to the AP, Cuba’s situation worsened after U.S. authorities captured then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January, reducing support from one of Cuba’s principal allies. The report added that Washington later warned countries against supplying fuel to Cuba and increased pressure on foreign businesses to limit commercial ties with the island.

The resulting fuel shortages have contributed to prolonged electricity outages, gasoline rationing and declines in industrial and food production, according to the report.

International Health Officials Raise Concerns

Mario Cruz Peñate, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and World Health Organization (WHO) representative in Cuba, told the AP that fuel shortages have caused significant disruptions throughout the healthcare system.

He said the shortages have affected not only medical services but also transportation, logistics and the continuity of patient care.

Cruz Peñate added that PAHO and the WHO have also faced difficulties distributing humanitarian assistance because of transportation challenges. The AP reported that the United Nations launched a $94 million emergency plan in March to address the humanitarian consequences linked to the energy crisis.

Children Among the Most Affected

A Cuban government report released in June found that survival rates for children with cancer had declined to 65% from 85% before the energy restrictions began in January, according to the AP.

Yolainy Romero, a specialist at Havana’s National Institute of Oncology and Radiobiology, said two children had died this year while describing the situation as severe.

Romero explained that many pediatric patients from distant provinces require treatment every 21 days but are often unable to travel on schedule because of fuel shortages.

Adriana Felipe García, whose four-year-old daughter Nashly Zerquera is receiving cancer treatment, told the AP her family traveled approximately 350 kilometers (217 miles) from Sancti Spíritus to Havana for medical care.

As Cuba continues to confront economic and energy challenges, healthcare providers face ongoing difficulties maintaining essential medical services while patients await treatment under increasingly strained conditions.

Tags: Cuba, Healthcare, Energy Crisis, Hospitals, Havana, Medical Supplies, Public Health, PAHO, World Health Organization, Humanitarian Crisis, United States, Americas

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Officials say the twin earthquakes killed at least 2,295 people and injured more than 11,000. Thousands of survivors remain without reliable access to clean water or adequate sanitation, conditions aid organizations say could fuel additional deaths in the coming days and weeks if left unaddressed.

Health System Faces Mounting Pressure

Medical workers say the immediate challenge is shifting from treating traumatic injuries to preventing infections among patients exposed to unsafe conditions following the disaster.

Eugenio Cova, head of the trauma unit at Hospital del Oeste Dr. José Gregorio Hernández in Caracas, said doctors expect infections to become an increasingly serious complication as survivors remain exposed to poor sanitary conditions. While trauma cases continue to arrive, he warned that untreated wounds and prolonged exposure increase the likelihood of serious medical complications.

Aid organizations also expressed concern about disease outbreaks in heavily affected communities.

Veronique Durroux, spokesperson for the U.N. humanitarian agency for Latin America and the Caribbean, said hot weather, damaged infrastructure, poor waste disposal, and extensive debris create favorable conditions for vector-borne diseases and other public health risks.

International Relief Efforts Expand

The United States has deployed 900 military personnel to assist relief and rescue operations, according to Steven McLoud, a spokesperson for U.S. Southern Command.

The military has repaired an earthquake-damaged runway at Venezuela’s main international airport serving Caracas, allowing humanitarian flights to resume, while naval assets have been positioned offshore to support evacuation and relief operations. McLoud said an additional 100 personnel from the U.S. State Department have also joined the response.

The Trump administration has committed $300 million in assistance through humanitarian organizations and the United Nations. However, the estimated material damage exceeds $6.7 billion, according to satellite analysis by the U.N. Development Program.

International rescue efforts have also expanded, with 50 teams from multiple countries—including Ecuador and Israel—joining search-and-rescue operations. Rescue crews continue to locate survivors, including a toddler found Tuesday after spending six days trapped beneath collapsed structures.

Longstanding Healthcare Challenges Exposed

The earthquakes have intensified pressure on a healthcare system that had already been weakened by years of economic hardship, underfunding, and the departure of medical professionals.

More than 7.7 million Venezuelans have left the country since 2013, when Nicolás Maduro assumed office during a prolonged economic downturn marked by mismanagement, corruption, and falling oil prices. Medical associations estimate that a significant share of Venezuela’s physicians and nurses were among those who emigrated.

Dr. Huníades Urbina, a board member of Venezuela’s pediatrics association, said the country has roughly half the physicians recommended under World Health Organization standards. He also cited a 2025 national survey showing shortages exceeding 30% of emergency medical supplies and more than 70% of operating room supplies across public hospitals.

According to Urbina, many hospital laboratories are operating only on a limited basis, restricting diagnostic capabilities as patient numbers continue to increase.

Hospitals Struggle to Treat Earthquake Victims

Doctors say hospitals are running short of critical orthopedic equipment, infection-control materials, and other essential medical supplies needed to care for victims with crush injuries.

Cova said his hospital lacks screws, plates, and medicated gauze required for orthopedic procedures. Some surgeries are being performed in makeshift operating areas because portions of the hospital building remain inaccessible following possible structural damage. Medical staff have also turned to social media to request donations of urgently needed supplies.

Government officials said 38 hospitals nationwide sustained damage or were otherwise affected by the earthquakes.

Jaime Lorenzo, director of United Doctors of Venezuela, said the country’s shortage of ambulances forces many injured patients to reach hospitals in pickup trucks rather than emergency vehicles. He also warned that hospitals could soon experience another surge of patients as displaced residents lose access to medications used to manage chronic illnesses such as diabetes, asthma, and hypertension.

Questions Surround Disaster Response

The government’s handling of the disaster has drawn increasing public criticism as rescue operations continue and thousands of people remain missing.

Videos circulating on social media appeared to show security personnel removing personal belongings from collapsed buildings, although The Associated Press reported that it could not independently verify the footage.

The Interior Ministry announced Wednesday that four police officers had been dismissed and detained for allegedly exploiting rescue and humanitarian operations.

Families continue searching for missing relatives, with one independent digital database listing more than 40,600 people as unaccounted for as of Wednesday.

During a briefing, Gen. Francis Donovan, head of U.S. Southern Command, rejected accusations that acting President Delcy Rodríguez was politicizing the relief effort. Donovan instead said decades of neglect had significantly complicated the government’s response to a disaster of such magnitude.

Rescue operations remain underway as authorities continue assessing the full humanitarian impact and medical needs following one of Venezuela’s deadliest natural disasters in recent history.

Tags: Venezuela, Caracas, Earthquake, Humanitarian Crisis, Public Health, Hospitals, Healthcare, United Nations, U.S. Southern Command, Delcy Rodríguez, Nicolás Maduro, Disaster Response

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The Associated Press reported that hospitals in France, among the countries hardest hit by last week’s extreme heat, are implementing lessons learned from the recent crisis as health officials warn that prolonged periods of high temperatures are becoming increasingly frequent because of climate change.

At the Paris-Saclay Hospital near Paris, medical teams faced unexpected shortages while treating patients suffering from severe heat-related illnesses. Emergency staff urgently required large quantities of ice to rapidly cool critically ill patients through cold-water immersion but initially lacked an industrial ice-making machine. A nearby fast-food restaurant supplied ice, while hospital staff also purchased additional supplies from supermarkets. The hospital has since ordered its own ice machine to improve readiness for future emergencies.

Hospital director Cédric Lussiez said the recent heat wave demonstrated that existing preparations were insufficient despite previous planning.

“We thought we were ready. We were not actually,” Lussiez said, describing the week as “horrible.” He said the hospital had to develop new solutions around the clock and had already begun applying lessons from the experience.

Governments expand heat resilience measures

France is also strengthening its national response after the heat wave placed significant pressure on healthcare services.

During the country’s hottest days last week, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced a €100 million ($114 million) investment beginning this summer to improve hospital cooling systems and help medical facilities remain operational during future periods of extreme heat.

Following a series of government crisis meetings, Lecornu also said authorities are purchasing 30,000 air-conditioning units for healthcare facilities, with initial deliveries expected within days. He said reducing pressure on hospitals during future heat waves had become an immediate priority.

WHO warns extreme heat is becoming the norm

The World Health Organization described the recent European heat wave as “a dress rehearsal” for increasingly difficult summers driven by climate change.

The organization said Europe is warming at more than twice the global average rate and warned that extreme heat can no longer be viewed as an isolated event. It urged governments to improve preparedness, warning that insufficient planning would continue to cost lives.

Hospitals report sharp increase in heat-related emergencies

At Paris-Saclay Hospital, emergency physician Dr. Nicolas Gonzales said patients suffering from heat exposure began arriving in large numbers on June 20, creating sustained pressure on emergency services for an entire week.

The hospital treated patients experiencing dehydration, heart attacks, kidney complications and other conditions linked to prolonged heat exposure. Cases involved people across all age groups, including children and older adults living alone.

Gonzales said one of the first patients was a 50-year-old man who fell into a coma at home after his body temperature reached about 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). He required immediate transport for intensive medical treatment.

He said hospitals are increasingly preparing for climate-related emergencies in much the same way they prepare for annual influenza and COVID-19 outbreaks.

Infrastructure upgrades accelerate

Although Paris-Saclay Hospital’s newer buildings are equipped with air conditioning, several older hospitals within the same hospital group struggled to maintain safe indoor temperatures during the heat wave.

To protect temperature-sensitive medicines, staff relied on temporary cooling measures using electric fans and blocks of ice. Student nurses were recruited to help ensure patients remained hydrated, while temperatures inside an upper-floor psychiatric ward reached approximately 33 degrees Celsius (91 degrees Fahrenheit), according to hospital officials.

Lussiez said renovation work is now being accelerated, including the creation of dedicated cooling rooms on every floor of the psychiatric unit and plans to relocate a department serving elderly patients into newer hospital facilities that offer better protection against extreme heat.

He said the improvements are intended to ensure hospitals are better equipped should another heat wave arrive in the coming days or later this summer, as forecasters have indicated remains possible.

Tags: France, Europe, Heat Wave, Climate Change, Hospitals, Healthcare, World Health Organization, Public Health, Emergency Medicine, Extreme Weather, Paris-Saclay Hospital, Sébastien Lecornu

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