Officials and Cuban
doctors use abstract language to misinform.
By Oscar Sánchez Madan.*
Officials of the
sector's health in Cuba use an indefinite language referring to the causes of
the deaths of patients in hospitals and epidemics spreading in several regions
of the country. The purpose is to misinform the public.
For cholera employ the
expression "disease of digestive transmission" and when referring to
a town where there are cases with dengue, allege that "it has waged a
campaign against outbreaks of the mosquito Aedes Aegypti", or that "there
are people on suspicion" of contracting the ailment.
Another of the
euphemisms used is "influenza vaccination campaign", of the efforts
to combat the Influenza A virus. This causes highly infectious and dangerous
diseases such as bird flu, and the swine flu.
Misinformation or
inaccurate communication on diseases and epidemics that affect citizens
Matanzas, contributes to these manifest apathy when you call support medical
campaigns, is trust, and do not protect against phenomena that they represent
common and not risky.
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Cuban doctors with
Health Minister, Roberto Ojeda,
arriving at a hospital.
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A year ago died in
hospital Faustino Pérez, of the city of Matanzas, Mr. Marcelo Marcial Rivero
Alonso, who resided in Cidra, community of the municipality of Union de Reyes.
Days before his death, he suffered severe diarrhea, vomiting, fever, thirst,
strong cramps in the stomach and decay. These are the symptoms of cholera.
However, was diagnosed as a cause of death "septic shock".
"Respiratory
Distress (suffering)" was the diagnosis of the doctors at the military
Hospital for the death, on 6 September last, Pedro Francisco Rodríguez Díaz,
57-year-old national, who also resided in the town of Cidra. This had entered
on day 3, with the symptoms of the influenza A H1N1: increased nasal discharge,
high fever, cough, sore throat, vomiting and decay.
It has become common
to that to outbreaks of Dengue and Influenza A H1N1 as will affect dozens of
citizens in Matanzas territory. An official of the Provincial Center of hygiene
and epidemiology speaks of
"suspected cases", not sick, referring to mourners. In this way they
try to preserve the false image created on the Cuban health system.
It's no secret to the
bureaucrats in the health sector the elementary right of citizens to receive
detailed, accurate and timely information.
In the province of
Matanzas, a few days ago referred to the municipalities "major
problems" in the fight against outbreaks of the mosquito that transmits
Dengue (Cardenas, Matanzas, Colon and Jagüey Grande). It is disturbing that
they have not mentioned the rest of the affected municipalities.
But cited ambivalent
language is not exclusive of officials of State medical institutions. In the
national housing body are called "extractions" unfair evictions of
people from their homes, planned and led by the ruling party.
The executives in the
sector of health and medical staff must report accurately all that put in
danger the life of citizens; they have an obligation to abandon his abstract
language, because it misinforms and, far from resolving problems, complicates
them. It is time for the people to respect and speak frankly.
*José Óscar Sánchez
Madan, is a Cuban journalist and author in several Cuban newspapers, and a
regular contributor of the Miami-based independent news agency CUBANET.
