Among them was the suspension of all non-essential medical services across the island. Typically, in Cuba, emergency surgeries are those that need to be urgently completed within 48 hours. Healthcare advocates point out that, if certain elective surgeries are postponed too long, they too can result in deadly conditions. Among those waiting are 5,152 cancer patients and approximately 12,000 children. But accessing even emergency medical care is tough when the fuel blockade is affecting basic services like transportation.