Abstract
The health care system is a vital part of the social infrastructure in every country. Care for people is the primary goal of any government. However, not every country in the world is an example of health care of high quality. Cuba is an interesting country in this context. Although it is a poor country, its health care system is one of the best in the world. The care for people’s health was one of the main slogans of Che Guevara, a leader of the Cuban revolutions. The actions of the new revolutionary government were so effective in the field of health care that the island became the bright example of a reliable and qualitative health care system.
Main body
There are a number of reasons for the outstanding achievements of the Cuban government in the sphere of health care. Free education is one of them. The future doctors should not only study for six years in the university but also have to work on allocation from two to three years. In such a way, the government ensures that future specialists obtain initial experience. Besides, there are a sufficient number of universities where Medicine can be studied.
“Cubans call their system medicina general integral (MGI, comprehensive general medicine)” (Fitz, 2012, par. 3). As every system, it is based on some fundamental principles. The Cuban health care system is based on the principles of diseases prevention as well as the immediate reaction to the cases of illness (Fitz, 2012).
The immediate reaction is achieved thanks to the high integration of the doctors’ offices in the communities with the hospitals. This allows accomplishing an immediate emergency if necessary.
The system proved its efficiency. “Well over 100 countries are looking to the example of Cuba, which has the same 78-year life expectancy of the US while spending 4% per person annually of what the US does” (Fitz, 2012, par. 2).
The world recognizes the high qualification of the Cuban medical personnel. The thousands of the health care tourists visit the island each year. The health care system has even become the tool of the diplomatic relations of the Cuban government. Cuban doctors progressed essentially in the treatment of such diseases as hepatitis B, meningitis, breast cancer, Parkinson’s disease and others.
Nevertheless, the problems remain. The experts mark out the following challenges: although the health care is free, the medication is not and very often the pharmacies are poorly stocked and hardly available; the hospitals equipment requires modernization and financing, many doctors have to bring in their own supplies of the instruments to treat the patients; the pharmacies are often available in the U.S. dollars meaning that not all Cubans can afford them (Plant, par. 7). Accordingly, the problems of the equal access to the health care still exist. The drug-stores selling in pesos and local state hospitals lack the sufficient amount of stock resulting in the relative inequality in the access to the medicines, though the services are free (Plant, n.d.).
The experts emphasize one more problem of the health care system in the island. It is the low salary of the medical personnel. Undoubtedly, the knowledge and expertise of the Cuban doctors should be remunerated accordingly.
“Due to the emphasis on community integration in the primary healthcare sector, medical students are educated in a very holistic manner, learning about local cultures, indigenous medicines and effective community relations in practical conditions” (Plant, n.d., par. 11). In this respect, the health care system in Cuba provides the specialists of a high quality having a substantial experience and social responsibility.
The bottom-up method of health care development allowed Cuba placing the priority on its primary health care which made the health care system of the island stand out comparing with the other developing countries (Plant, n.d., par. 3).
It has been found that the primary health care in Cuba is rather specific acquiring the dimensions to its basic definition. In particular, the Cuban primary health care is characterized by the increasing number of the family physicians and the presence of the variety of Centers of Studies and Research (de la C. Martínez Tena, 2012, p.126).
The community health nurses play an important role in the promotion of the healthcare services in Cuba and their contribution to the health of the nation is mostly proved by their work in the certain professional groups (Janes & Lundi Saucier 2009). The work in these particular groups allows them being aware of the potential threats to the health of people and reacting immediately.
Summary
The health care system in Cuba is one of the most effective in the world. Cuba is considered to be the leading health care services provider in spite of the fact that the island has been isolated for decades and its economy has suffered from the lack of international cooperation. The health care system in Cuba is referred to a so-called comprehensive general medicine. The main focus is put on the primary health care. The Cuban doctors are highly qualified and achieved the substantial progress in the treatment of the severe diseases. The success of the health care system starts from the high quality of education which the specialists obtain. The social background of the health care services makes it available to everyone, though the problems exist in the sufficient supply of the affordable medicines. Overall, the poor countries should be led by the Cuba example of the health care system organization.
References
de la C. Martínez Tena, A. (2012). Cultural factors and primary health care in Cuba. A view from community praxis. Global Journal of Community Psychology Practice, 1(3), 125-132.
Fitz, D. (2012). Why Is Cuba’s Health Care System the Best Model for Poor Countries?
Janes, Sh., & Lundi Saucier, K. (2009). Community Health Nursing: Caring for the Public’s Health. Burlington, MA, USA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Plant, H. (n.d.). The challenges of health care in Cuba. An International Affairs Magazine. Web.