“ Please enjoy our country ,” one Cuban store owner and local historian told me with a wry smile . “ Just don ’ t try to understand it .”
Patients in Cuba maternity clinic whose family trees have roots in Africa , Cuba and the United States .
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From the time we landed in Havana , I wanted to hear directly from Cubans about the country ’ s shortages . I was especially interested in hearing how the U . S . embargo has affected the work of Cuba ’ s doctors and the country ’ s ability to get basic medicines and critical medical supplies . They told me the U . S . blockade has made it incredibly difficult to treat sick Cubans by punishing companies anywhere in the world for doing business with Cuba .
In fact , Cuban doctors told our delegation that managing medical care during the Covid-19 pandemic was particularly challenging even though Cuban scientists developed two vaccines for the virus . But getting those vaccines into the arms of people in Cuba was made difficult because the U . S . blockage made it really hard for Cuba to purchase syringes .
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On a narrow block in Old Havana , where children skip along the cobblestone street , we visited a maternity care facility for women who are having a difficult pregnancy .
A doctor wearing a mask and white coat explained that this clinic provides around-the-clock care at no cost for women whose pregnancies need to be watched closely . We were told that despite the U . S . embargo , the staff still deliver high-quality medical care .
“ We had challenges ,” one doctor said . “ But we are proud of the care that we give .”
Doctors and nurses provide medical assistance to young women who are experiencing a troubled pregnancy , some of them as young as 18 and 19 years old . Several young women we were allowed to interview freely , without handlers , spoke passionately about their care and the love they feel
for the staff . ___
Inside a small church where large fans blow hot air , a gathering of community activists and local leaders with the Aponte Commission spoke of improving their quality of life one neighborhood block at a time .
Poverty is prevalent and jobs are scarce in the Afro-Cuban community where elders are revered , and young people are encouraged to excel in school and stay out of trouble .
The message that is passed down from one generation to the next is simple
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