EPISODE · May 11, 2026 · 10 MIN
Dr. Roger A. Mitchell Jr. talks the Cuban blockade | Midday Break Room w/ Tiffany Bacon - 5.11.26
from WURD Radio · host WURD Radio
Dr. Roger A. Mitchell Jr. is the 126th president of the National Medical Association: the largest and oldest organization representing the interests of Black physicians and their patients in the United States. Dr. Mitchell joins the show to talk about the Cuban fuel blockade, a long-standing economic embargo that the United States has imposed on Cuba for fuel. Because of this, Cuba’s healthcare system is currently experiencing severe strain driven by an intensifying energy crisis linked to restrictions on fuel access. Hospitals and clinics are facing persistent power outages, disrupting life-saving services such as neonatal care, dialysis, chemotherapy, and surgical procedures. More than 96,000 patients are currently awaiting surgeries, including thousands of children, as the system is forced to delay care due to limited operational capacity. Fuel shortages are also impairing ambulance services, the transportation of healthcare workers, and the distribution of essential medicines. As physicians committed to health equity and global health justice, the NMA calls for the immediate removal of elements of the blockade that have led to the humanitarian and health impacts affecting the people of Cuba. On April 15, Dr. Mitchell joined a webinar hosted by the National Medical Association to further discuss how to resolve this matter.
What this episode covers
Dr. Roger A. Mitchell Jr. is the 126th president of the National Medical Association: the largest and oldest organization representing the interests of Black physicians and their patients in the United States. Dr. Mitchell joins the show to talk about the Cuban fuel blockade, a long-standing economic embargo that the United States has imposed on Cuba for fuel. Because of this, Cuba’s healthcare system is currently experiencing severe strain driven by an intensifying energy crisis linked to restrictions on fuel access. Hospitals and clinics are facing persistent power outages, disrupting life-saving services such as neonatal care, dialysis, chemotherapy, and surgical procedures. More than 96,000 patients are currently awaiting surgeries, including thousands of children, as the system is forced to delay care due to limited operational capacity. Fuel shortages are also impairing ambulance services, the transportation of healthcare workers, and the distribution of essential medicines. As physicians committed to health equity and global health justice, the NMA calls for the immediate removal of elements of the blockade that have led to the humanitarian and health impacts affecting the people of Cuba. On April 15, Dr. Mitchell joined a webinar hosted by the National Medical Association to further discuss how to resolve this matter.
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Dr. Roger A. Mitchell Jr. talks the Cuban blockade | Midday Break Room w/ Tiffany Bacon - 5.11.26
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