Cuban Health Workers Fight Despite Crisis

0:00It's March 25th. Welcome in. This is Toronto News Today, where local news meets AI. Young health care workers at Havana's Cardiology Institute are struggling through Cuba's worst crisis yet. Shortages of medicine, pacemakers, and fuel have led to surgery delays of one to three months. Blackouts and transportation breakdowns make even basic care a daily battle for these cardiology residents, nurses, and lab techs. The problems hit harder outside the capital, where supplies barely arrive and power outages drag on longer. Cuba's famed medical system, once a global export, now faces U.S. pressures under the Trump administration to cut international doctor missions. Officials blamed the long-standing economic blockade for crippling patient transport, food delivery, and electricity for vital equipment. These young providers earn less than $40 Canadian dollars a month, while food prices have soared. The dozen eggs now cost nearly $10. Daily commutes are a nightmare with crippled public transit, leaving little for basics beyond

1:03survival. Some vent frustration over both U.S. policies and internal government issues fueling the chaos. Despite it all, staff push on with what they have, keeping patients stable until procedures can happen. A few colleagues have quit for better pay elsewhere, and others dream of leaving for places like the United States. Several facilities fare even worse, but at this institute no one has died waiting for care. Patients still call them heroes for their dedication amid the desperation, holding the line as Cuba grapples with crumbling services and an uncertain future.