When Every Minute Counts

Twenty-two injured people arrived last Friday at the Matanzas Military Hospital. A passenger truck had lost control on the expressway near Carbonera, and the medical response was immediate.

Shortly after 9:00 in the morning, the first injured crossed the doors of the Dr. Mario Muñoz Monroy Military Hospital. Complete teams awaited them there. The doctors triaged each patient. The neurotrauma cases went to the Faustino Pérez, the only center with tomography and Neurosurgery. That order saved time. And time, in an emergency, saves lives.

Today there is good news: only four patients remain hospitalized. None is in danger, and the others returned home, among them two children. Doctor Yamira López Peña, provincial director of Health, confirmed it.

The four serious cases evolved favorably. There was also pain. Juan Eduardo Lorente Aguiar, 77 years old, lost his life in the accident. His family receives the condolences of an entire people.

Behind every figure there is a face, there is a doctor who did not stop, there is a nurse who held a hand, there is a surgeon who operated on a patient while others were arriving.

No one asked how much the care cost, nor requested insurance, nor a payment. Each injured person received the same care.

That is the strength of Cuban Public Health. Free medical care is a guaranteed right and does not depend on anyone’s pocket.

The directors of Health and the deputy director of Medical Assistance arrived at the hospital from the first moment. The SIUM (Medical Emergency System) began the evacuation without delay. The first two transfers were already underway.

Doctor Humberto Domínguez Suárez asked the families for calm. He assured that the resources were in the institution. That word brought calm to many homes.

Information was also part of the response. In hours of anguish, families need clear data. They need to know where their loved ones are.

The Girón newspaper carried the voices of the hospital directors. TV Yumurí and Radio 26 followed the event from the morning. The three media reported with speed and rigor.

No rumor took the place of the truth. The people knew what was happening and who was attending to their relatives; that transparency also cares.

Journalism, in these moments, is a public service. It informs, guides, and accompanies. Matanzas communicators fulfilled that task.

This accident left an irreparable loss, but it also showed a system that responded in time. It showed professionals with vocation and a united province.

Matanzas can feel proud of its people in white coats. It can also thank those who tell what happens. Thanks to both, no one was alone on Friday.