On my first day arrival to Santiago de Cuba, on Friday, April 1st, 2016, my Aunt Xiomara Fong Ramos took me for a walk around her neighborhood along Calle 3 and Calle 2, near La Trocha and Carretera del Morro. We ended up walking to her physician’s home apartment above the local Medical Clinic No.1 managed by Dr. Luis Peinado, M.D. My Aunt Xiomara introduced me to her physician friend and his wife who was washing the laundry and hanging clothes to dry on the terrace.

Afterwards, we went to have Lunch at her home, where her husband, Uncle Pedro Zayas Guerrero made a typical Cuban welcome meal with the traditional Cuban Roast Pork, Lechón Asado, Rice and Black Beans, served with a Tomatoes, Cucumbers and Onions Salad. During three (3) consecutive days, we had the same type of Cuban food fare which included black beans stew. In addition, there were cartons of lemonade and cranberry juice, fresh fruit, preserves, etc. The Cuban black beans stew caused me to have an indigestion by Sunday evening, on the third day. The black beans are hard and tough to digest along with the abundant luncheon and the following substantial dinner for four (4) consecutive days in Santiago de Cuba, prepared by my Uncle Pedro for the our welcoming meals at their home. Around midnight on Sunday, my stomach could not hold nor digest all the Cuban meals at once, so I began to throw up in the bathroom sink everything I had consumed and could not digest properly with the black beans. Then, I felt the diarrhea coming and off to the toilet I went afterwards, after midnight and during the early morning hours. I was in the twilight zone in Santiago de Cuba. On the fourth day, Uncle Pedro and Aunt Xiomara began to complain that they had too much to do at home with so many people coming over to visit them. So, Uncle Pedro hired a Cuban black cook named Melania to cook for our family during our 29-day stay in Santiago de Cuba. I told Melania that the black beans stew did not agree with my stomach overnight and after midnight, which caused vomit, diarrhea, and complete discomfort during the twilight early morning hours in Santiago de Cuba. Melania changed the Cuban menu completely and removed the black beans stew.

Twelve (12) days later, my Aunt Xiomara received a medical house call at home from Public Health Dr. Dairelis Sotolongo Romero, M.D. who arrived with the registered nurse to take my temperature at 36.3 Centigrade and blood pressure at 110/70 for the day.

In Santiago de Cuba, there is a mandatory 21 days medical check-up daily for travellers, visitors, tourists, and foreigners to take their temperature and blood pressure, while spot checking their overall health and well-being.

For the following consecutive days, we walked to the Medical Clinic Consultorio No.1, Policlínico 28 de septiembre, on Calle 2, to visit Dr. Dairelis Sotolongo Romero, M.D. to take our temperatures and blood pressure on a daily basis, according to the Public Health Department Standards in Santiago de Cuba. My regular body temperature is 36.5 Centigrades and my blood pressure is 120/70.

On the April 21, 2016, Dr. Dairelis Sotolongo Romero, M.D. brought another medical assistant, Dr. Fermín Alfonso Hibonet who took my temperature with the thermometer reading 36.5 Centigrades and my blood pressure reading at 130/80. Then Dr. Fermín dropped the thermometer on the floor by accident. This momentary slip of the thermometer to the ground broke the glass thermometer into pieces, scattering the quick silver oxide all over the floor, under the rocking chairs, the table, everywhere. That was the only thermometre they had brought with them on the last day of the medical check up for me as a traveller, visiting tourist, foreigner for our Cuban family reunion during April 2016.

Dr. Dairelis Sotolongo Romero, M.D. told me that I only had to have written medical check-ups for 21 days mandatory requirement for travellers, visitors, tourists, and foreigners in Santiago de Cuba upon request by Public Health. I signed the medical reports beginning on April 12 through April 21, 2016 in Santiago de Cuba for the Medical Clinic Consultorio No.1 of the Policlínico 28 de septiembre on Calle 2 and La Trocha.

For All Travellers, Tourists, and Foreigners in Cuba, There Is A Daily Medical Check-Up For 21 Days Mandatory Requirement By Public Health In Santiago de Cuba.