When one mentions the island nation of Cuba, the first few thoughts that would probably enter our minds would be about the 1962 “Cuban Missile Crisis,” communism and Guantanamo Bay. There is more to Cuba than this. Despite being a low-income country, ranking 86th on the World Health Report list of GDP per capita, Cuba has created a health care system that assumes responsibility for the health care of all its citizens.
The Cuban health care system is based on the philosophy that it is better to detect conditions early and treat them before they become untreatable rather than let the condition destroy the patient. The Cuban system emphasizes aggressive preventive medicine rather than treatment because it helps detect conditions early and prevents avoidable deaths. This is one of the prime reasons that the cost of health care per person in Cuba is less than $400 annually. Preventive treatment in Cuba has been successful because of the high number of physicians in the country. The most rural and remote communities also enjoy personal and persistent medical care. In fact, houses in Cuba are regularly investigated for water quality and general hygiene. The results of these efforts are proof that the Cuban health care system is effective. According to the WHO, the life expectancy at birth of a Cuban is 78 and the under-five mortality rate is seven per 1000.
One of the key reasons that even the most remote communities in Cuba have access to doctors is that medical schools, such as the Latin American School of Medicine, admit students on the condition that they will go back to serve the communities that they have come from. Despite the fact that this condition could limit the growth of Cuban doctors, 98 percent of Cuban doctors uphold the condition. Only two percent of doctors defect to other countries. This high ratio ensures that communities throughout Cuba receive adequate health care.
Along with its own health care system, Cuba has also provided invaluable assistance to countries such as Venezuela and the Gambia. Venezuela was grappling with the lack of medical care in their slums and doctors were unwilling to visit the so-called barrios because of the violence associated with these areas. It was Cuban doctors that visited the barrios and established the Barrio Adentro program. Cuban doctors helped train Venezuelan doctors and assisted in the building of 4,659 equipped health care centers, in which medical care was free of charge.
In Gambia, a small African nation, there were two hospitals in the entire country. When the Cubans arrived, they helped create the school of medicine because it would be effective to have qualified doctors who understand the need of the population in Gambia. Initially, locals had some access in the cities. With the arrival of Cuban doctors, locals had access to medical care in the most remote areas because the Cubans were spread all over the country. The Cuban doctors have implemented the same cost-effective and preventive medicine model in the Gambia. They sent messages to the public via radios and televisions, thus trying to equip the common man with basic information if he did not have immediate access to health care.
Upon reflection, Cuba is a model for low-income as well as high-income countries because it epitomizes effective health care with minimum resources. It serves as hope for low-income countries, which believe that quality health care might take many years, and as a cost-effective model for high-income countries such as America that spend more than 20 times compared to what Cuba spends with less success.
Aditya Mehta is a College junior from Mumbai, India joint majoring in Sociology-Religion.
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I am so upset upon reading this article it is actually difficult to type. This young, naive reporter should investigate further before reporting on the ADMIRABLE model of Cuban health care. Has this reporter interviewed any refugees from Cuba? Why do you even think there are refugees!? The reason we do not hear more about the violation of human rights in Cuba is because the relatives left behind will be found and dealt with. The dictator in Cuba does things for one reason, to benefit himself and his cronies. All of Latin America knows this, they have for years. Cuba has this healthcare because of an oppressive government. The government is so oppressive people are fearful (and have been for over 20 years) of speaking out in fear that they and/or their families will be imprisoned! Because they are routinely imprisoned. You cannot tell who works for the government, and when they overhear, they turn you in. Fact: Medical Doctors in Cuba are only allowed to make an income of $22 USD A MONTH to support their families, they cannot even afford a used car from the 1980’s. Cuban medical doctors go to Venezuela because the Cuban government credits their account $100 extra USD for their time there, typically 6 months to 1 year, but, the Cuban government charges millions of dollars to Venezuela for the use of their MD’s. This is an outrage, people in Cuba do not have human rights, do you really believe that the Cuban government cares about the Venezuelan people? This is how they support their communist regime. The Cuban medical doctors have as many rights as do the Chinese sweat-shop workers. Please end this extremely irresponsible reporting, dig for the real story, don’t write to just meet a deadline and do a horrible disservice to all Cuban Americans who have to read this. Do not be so easily fooled by the smoking mirrors, you see what daddy Cuba wants you to see, they have been at it for years, and have perfected the camouflage.
Thank you for your comment, ma’am, but this piece is an EDITORIAL and therefore expresses the writer’s opinion. Although the system is not perfect – as you’ve so thoroughly pointed out – the columnist’s facts are correct. Whether or not they chose to include all the facts in their column is the columnist’s prerogative in writing an opinion piece.
I am truly sorry that this writer chose to only include information that was likely provided by the media, and did not investigate further. And it is alarming that a well-rounded student would come to an opinion that admires anything about the oppressive Cuban government. Cuba cares for its citizens, so it can work them for profit, that is human trafficking. The cost of healthcare is so low because they have confiscated the equipment and their doctors income is below the poverty level. Is that a model for the US? Emory students hold vigils against the oppression of Tibetans, call out the labor practices of Sodexo and protest against the human rights violations of this company, while the people of an entire country to our south have suffered the oppression wrought by a dictator that limits their food supplies and has them living in fear. I cannot read an editorial that glorifies and admires such a government and not provide the rest of the facts. You have the right to have an opinion, and I do as well, but the Cubans do not.
best wheel article since: http://www.theemorywheel.com/detail-pf.php?n=30685
The focus of this article is on the health care model – let us not obfuscate it with discussions about communism and refugees and oppression
It is not pretty is it? How can you discuss Healthcare that is run by the government without discussing the government, and what makes this healthcare possible? Last I heard, doctors had something to do with healthcare, and doctors were mentioned in this article. My comments were about how doctors in Cuba are treated; without them, medical treatment would be minimal, and the Cuban government would not make as much money.