The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has begun distributing 100 oxygen concentrators to emergency services across a network of hospitals in Cuba.
According to the Cuban News Agency, the first 50 devices have already been delivered to seven provinces.
The remaining units will be distributed in the coming days, alongside spare components including sensors and fans.
“Every supply, medication, or piece of equipment that arrives in the country for a hospital institution is an opportunity to improve health services and save lives, as is the case with these concentrators,” said Sunny Guidotti, UNICEF’s representative in Cuba.
Each concentrator has a capacity of up to 10 litres per minute, making it suitable for high-demand oxygen therapy in both hospital and home settings, while reducing reliance on cylinder deliveries.
The deployment of concentrators is particularly relevant in Cuba, where oxygen supply has historically depended on a centralised production and distribution model, requiring liquefaction, bottling, and transport to healthcare facilities.
The OxiCuba SA plant ©CiberCuba
The delivery comes amid ongoing strain on that system. The country’s main production facility, operated by OxiCuba SA in Cotorro, has faced repeated technical disruptions in recent years.
Since late 2024, the plant has reportedly experienced prolonged outages linked to equipment failures and underinvestment, constraining supply to bottling and distribution centres such as Guanabacoa.
Earlier shortages have forced hospitals and polyclinics to ration oxygen, in some cases prioritising critical and paediatric patients.
The issue is not new. During the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021, a breakdown at the same facility contributed to acute shortages, prompting emergency imports and international assistance.
Cuban officials have also pointed to external constraints. In comments to The Associated Press, Health Minister José Angel Portal Miranda said US sanctions are threatening “basic human safety,” citing difficulties in securing medical equipment and spare parts.
The US embargo on Cuba, first introduced in the early 1960s and subsequently expanded through legislation such as the Helms-Burton Act, restricts trade and financial transactions involving US-origin goods.
