Cuba may struggle to feed its people. Its socialist economy is in the process of being restructured to root out widespread inefficiency. Nothing good can be said of its human rights record. But one of its most enviable achievements is, according to PBS, a system of universal health care that places doctors in even the most far flung rural areas and sustains the highest per capita concentration of doctors in the world. The Cuban health care model relies heavily on prevention, with doctors making regular home visits to monitor the lifestyle and habits of their patients. It is not hard to imagine how this could be coupled with a hidden motive of keeping a watchful eye on Cuba's population.
There is a big temptation for Cuba's doctors to emigrate, for freedom, for economic opportunities and out of frustration at the limited supplies available to Cuban doctors. Although Cuba has developed a biotech industry,that is respected abroad, a critical part of Cuba's strategy in maintaining health is medicines and money sent from abroad by Cuban expatriates.
Cuba is also using its success in training and providing doctors to deepen its reservoir of good will abroad. PBS also portrayed a program sponsored by the Cuban government in which they train doctors free of charge for six years with the aim of the newly trained doctors going back to their impoverished communities and providing health care there. Additionally, Cuba sends its medical teams to disaster areas and areas abroad with few doctors.
Back in the sixties and seventies, Cuba was sending soldiers and guerillai nsurgents abroad. However one may dislike Cuba's political system, it is far better for political adversaries to compete with acts of kindness than with acts of terrorism.
A look at Cuba's health care must be looked at in the context of its ailing economy and its ability to properly feed its people. Not all of its problems can be attributed to the US embargo. It is, nevertheless worthwhile to look at the success that Cuba has had in the area of public health and its efforts to improve its image abroad by exporting doctors and health care.
Go to link below for accompanying videos
http://globetribune.info/2010/12/28/cuba...