Doha: Cuba's Minister of Public Health, Jose Angel Portal Miranda, warned on Friday that the country's healthcare system is nearing collapse, citing the impact of US sanctions on oil supplies to the island.

According to Qatar News Agency, Portal Miranda stated that Cuba's already strained healthcare system is "approaching the brink of collapse" due to US restrictions on fuel shipments. He emphasized that the sanctions are not only crippling the island's economy but also threatening basic human safety.

The health minister highlighted the impossibility of damaging a country's economy without impacting its population, cautioning that the situation could endanger lives. He noted that approximately five million people with chronic illnesses rely on regular medication and treatment.

Portal Miranda further explained that among those affected are 16,000 cancer patients needing radiotherapy and 12,400 undergoing chemotherapy, stressing that economic pressure inevitably leads to humanitarian consequences.

Cuba's healthcare system had been facing persistent shortages of supplies, personnel, and medicines amid the island's wider economic crisis. However, the situation has deteriorated in recent weeks. Ambulances are struggling to find enough fuel to respond to emergencies, hospitals are experiencing power outages, and flights carrying essential medical supplies have been halted. The government reports its inability to refuel aircraft at its airports. Experts and some international leaders have warned of a potential humanitarian crisis in Cuba if conditions continue to worsen.