Cuba: How Hospitals Operate During a Total Blackout

Citizens Report

By El Toque

HAVANA TIMES – Since the night of March 14, 2025, Cuba has been experiencing its fourth nationwide blackout in the past five months. On social media, citizens have reported the impact of the power outage on several hospitals across the country.

A search on Facebook revealed that multiple hospital wards in Holguin, Cardenas, and Cienfuegos were left without power at some point during the night of March 14 and the early hours of March 15. The “Gustavo Aldereguia Lima” hospital in Cienfuegos was without electricity for 29 minutes, starting at 9:15 p.m. on March 14, a fact confirmed by official media.

The local TV station Perla Visión attempted to frame the event as an act of heroism, when in reality, it was a hazardous situation exposing the dangerous conditions under which Cuban healthcare workers are forced to operate. The report stated: “The medical staff of the ‘Dr. Gustavo Aldereguía Lima’ Provincial Teaching Hospital performed a surgical intervention under extreme conditions, following a total power outage in the western and central regions of the country.”

In the early hours of March 15, a reader of elTOQUE reported that in the “Enrique López” ward of the “Calixto García” Hospital in Havana, there were patients in need of oxygen who were unable to receive it due to the lack of electricity. The reader also added: “Everyone is complaining because this is a complete lack of respect. They turned on the generator for the ICU and the operating room only.” By 10 a.m., the situation remained unchanged.

In Cuba, hospitals should have efficient backup power systems to ensure their operation during blackouts. These systems typically include generators that should automatically activate in case of supply interruptions to sustain critical services such as operating rooms and intensive care units.

Additionally, during energy crises, microsystems are implemented to prioritize power supply to essential facilities, including hospitals. For example, in December 2024, in Santiago de Cuba, substations were synchronized and floating power plants were connected to provide electricity to hospitals, water pumping systems, and gas plants.

However, past incidents have shown that backup systems do not always function properly. In May 2024, the Oncology Hospital in Santiago suffered a prolonged blackout due to a lack of oil for its generator, forcing staff and patients to rely on cellphone flashlights for illumination.

El Toque consulted a Telecommunications and Electronics specialist, who explained that it was crucial to determine the capacity of the installed generators. It is highly likely that the power output of these units only allows for the operation of certain hospital wards rather than the entire building.

A report from 2006, during the height of the so-called “Energy Revolution,” stated that generators were installed in hospitals and other priority institutions, with capacities ranging from 120 kilovolt-amperes to 618 kilovolt-amperes. However, the report did not specify the power capacity of hospital generators, only mentioning those in Havana.

The issue is that these generators are now outdated and may not even support minimal services. In January 2025, the government admitted that investments were needed for these devices, as they were overused. Authorities also stated that the generators were designed to run only four hours per day.

A former employee of the Electric Company told us that Cuba’s generators also suffer from poor maintenance. These machines run on oil, and there is not always enough available to perform the necessary replacements, he explained—an issue that aligns with the complaint made at Santiago’s Oncology Hospital in May 2024. Additionally, the cooling water required to prevent overheating is often unavailable. Since the generators are almost constantly in use, sooner or later, they break down.

While citizens endure blackouts, Cuba’s Ministry of Tourism assured on its social media platforms: “Cuba’s tourism system has a solid energy backup that guarantees the continuous operation of hotels, non-hotel facilities, and associated services.”

In recent months, Cubans have repeatedly wondered how many medicines or investments in the National Electric System could be funded with the cost of hotels like the Torre K.

Read more from Cuba here on Havana Times.