Can Cuba export Health care to the US?

The Cuban health care system is producing a population that is as healthy as those of the world's wealthiest countries at a fraction of the cost. And now Cuba has begun exporting its system to under-served communities around the world -- including in the U.S.
Cubans say they offer health care to the world's poor because they have big hearts. But what do they get in return? They live longer than almost anyone in Latin America. Far fewer babies die. Almost everyone has been vaccinated, and such scourges of the poor as parasites, TB, malaria, even HIV/AIDS are rare or non-existent. Anyone can see a doctor, at low cost, right in the neighborhood.
The Cuban health care system is producing a population that is as healthy as those of the world's wealthiest countries at a fraction of the cost. And now Cuba has begun exporting its system to under-served communities around the world -- including the United States.
The story of Cuba's health care ambitions is largely hidden from the people of the United States, where politics left over from the Cold War maintain an embargo on information and understanding. But it is increasingly well-known in the poorest communities of Latin America, the Caribbean, and parts of Africa where Cuban and Cuban-trained doctors are practicing.
In the words of Dr. Paul Farmer, Cuba is showing that "you can introduce the notion of a right to health care and wipe out the diseases of poverty."
Health Care for All Cubans
Many elements of the health care system Cuba is exporting around the world are common-sense practices. Everyone has access to doctors, nurses, specialists, and medications. There is a doctor and nurse team in every neighborhood, although somewhat fewer now, with 29,000 medical professionals serving out of the country -- a fact that is causing some complaints. If someone doesn't like their neighborhood doctor, they can choose another one.
House calls are routine, in part because it's the responsibility of the doctor and nurse team to understand you and your health issues in the context of your family, home, and neighborhood. This is key to the system. By catching diseases and health hazards before they get big, the Cuban medical system can spend a little on prevention rather than a lot later on to cure diseases, stop outbreaks, or cope with long-term disabilities. When a health hazard like dengue fever or malaria is identified, there is a coordinated nationwide effort to eradicate it. Cubans no longer suffer from diphtheria, rubella, polio, or measles and they have the lowest AIDS rate in the Americas, and the highest rate of treatment and control of hypertension.
For health issues beyond the capacity of the neighborhood doctor, polyclinics provide specialists, outpatient operations, physical therapy, rehabilitation, and labs. Those who need inpatient treatment can go to hospitals; at the end of their stay, their neighborhood medical team helps make the transition home. Doctors at all levels are trained to administer acupuncture, herbal cures, or other complementary practices that Cuban labs have found effective. And Cuban researchers develop their own vaccinations and treatments when medications aren't available due to the blockade, or when they don't exist.
Exporting Health Care
For decades, Cuba has sent doctors abroad and trained international students at its medical schools. But things ramped up beginning in 1998 when Hurricanes George and Mitch hammered Central America and the Caribbean. As they had often done, Cuban doctors rushed to the disaster zone to help those suffering the aftermath. But when it was time to go home, it was clear to the Cuban teams that the medical needs extended far beyond emergency care. So Cuba made a commitment to post doctors in several of these countries and to train local people in medicine so they could pick up where the Cuban doctors left off. ELAM, the Havana-based Latin American School of Medicine, was born, and with it the offer of 10,000 scholarships for free medical training.
Today the program has grown to 22,000 students from Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, and the United States who attend ELAM and 28 other medical schools across Cuba. The students represent dozens of ethnic groups, 51 percent are women, and they come from more than 30 countries. What they have in common is that they would otherwise be unable to get a medical education. When a slum dweller in Port au Prince, a young indigenous person from Bolivia, the son or daughter of a farmer in Honduras, or a street vendor in the Gambia wants to become a doctor, they turn to Cuba. In some cases, Venezuela pays the bill. But most of the time, Cuba covers tuition, living expenses, books, and medical care. In return, the students agree that, upon completion of their studies, they will return to their own under-served communities to practice medicine.

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Life is good, the water is sweet. The ground keeps moving beneath my feet.

Now if only they could figure out a way to supply the people with something to drive other than '52 Chevies.

Vi

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Liberals are people that will believe anything twice.

Yeah, maybe if the right wing neo-cons would lift the embargo, that could happen. I think opening trade relations with Cuba would be a good thing. It's all those Cuban ex-pats that are holding this up. I've been thinking, There's a real opportunity to import some of those old chevys and fords to build hot rods out of.

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Life is good, the water is sweet. The ground keeps moving beneath my feet.

communism is about efficient management of the working population, cars are a distraction (obviously one that you enjoy) and they should exist only to transport the worker to and from work. you're a bad commy med, very bad.






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"But even when you cease to be slaves, you are yet far removed from being placed on an equality with the white race."

- Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States of America, Hero to the servants of big government, Racist War Monger

Does this imply that you are a good neo-con ~LOL~. Good and Neo-con are oxymorons, there are no good Neo-cons, they are evil selfish pigs. They live at the expense of the working class and exploit all they consider beneath them. They are the cause of all the evil now running rampant in the world. When that great horn up yonder sounds, they will not heed the call. Repent while you still can. I see a very hot place in your future. "Those of you that mistreat the least of us, mistreat me", might not be a direct quote from Jesus, but you get the drift, Repent.

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Life is good, the water is sweet. The ground keeps moving beneath my feet.

since i don't consider anyone beneath me i guess i'm a bad neocon. it also is probably not good for my neocon standing that i think the UN should be destroyed, the federal government needs to be sliced down to 1/4 of its size, and the world needs to fend for itself. yes, i'm a poor excuse of a neocon.






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"But even when you cease to be slaves, you are yet far removed from being placed on an equality with the white race."

- Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States of America, Hero to the servants of big government, Racist War Monger

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Life is good, the water is sweet. The ground keeps moving beneath my feet.

But you hate any social programs, What's up with that? what's up with your hatred of all things peaceful and all things left of center. Is there not some middle ground you could stand on? right wing this and right wing that. There are other views.

Garnering "rights" for one person at the expense of another is not "peaceful" Med. As a matter of fact, it is the very definition of violence.

Vi

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Liberals are people that will believe anything twice.

You are so lost in self, so afraid of sharing, so distant from humanity, hey from what little I have gathered from you, you have plenty to live comfortably for the rest of your life. Do you think people with guns are coming to get your wealth. Pay your fair share and you'll still have plenty to hoard, and you'll not be paranoid. Me thinks you must have some guilt about not paying your fair share, or rather about being caught. I am for any form of taxes that distributes the wealth to balance the society. I also believe there should be rich people and poor people, but not excesses in either direction.

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Life is good, the water is sweet. The ground keeps moving beneath my feet.

I am for any form of taxes that distributes the wealth to balance the society. I also believe there should be rich people and poor people, but not excesses in either direction......................................... .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ....................................Equal misery for everyone. That\'s sounds great!