Summary: The Cuban Healthcare System

The Cuban healthcare system has gone through many changes over the years. Going through several reforms along side its government along with economical crisis like the cold war, U.S embargo and transitioning to a communistic government. This meant the government was taking full accountability over the healthcare system. Due to the government taking over all previous private owned practices it closed them all down ending a private healthcare system in Cuba from which it had inherited from its colonizer in Spain. All starting after the Cuban revolution when Cuba started the transition to the modern day healthcare system after its crisis it had had throughout the soviets influence.

After the Cuban revolution Cuba’s health care system was considered one of the top healthcare systems in the world. The mortality rate was of one the lowest in the world. Along with such a low mortality rate Cuba also had a high doctor per capita rate. This meant that more doctors where available to the population. Even though they had experienced doctors Cuba’s healthcare was centered on urban areas …show more content…
The effect it does have is not on the patients but the hospital staff. “Although medical attention remains free, many patients did and still do bring their doctors food, money or other gifts to get to the front of the queue or to guarantee an appointment for an X-ray, blood test or operation.”(Newman,2012). This again is a result of the universal healthcare system that Cuba has in place. Along with the universal healthcare it also has no private practicing hospital or clinics. All the healthcare is ran via the government. Even with this healthcare system in place the public health clinics in which majority of the population goes to receive clinic is severely under supplied in both medical supplies and medications to give the public