One of the major accomplishments of 1959 Castroite revolution has been turning once-world class hospitals of Cuba into places where not even pigs would ever enter. This is Cuban healthcare. For ordinary people, of course.
Thanks to Dr. Darsi Ferrer, who emailed us these pics took via cell phone camera in 3 hospitals in Havana: Miguel Enríquez Hospital, Octuber 10 (Diez de Octubre) Hospital and Julio Trigo Hospital. None of these hospitals were visited by Michael Moore.
Click below to read Darsi’s report, translated in English.
Cuba for Cubans
By Dr. Darsi Ferrer, Director, “Juan Bruno Zayas” Center for Health and Human Rights
Havana, September 20, 2007
The official policy of APARTHEID imposed by the Cuban regime almost fifty years ago has harmful consequences for the health of the population. The few existing hospitals and polyclinics which have adequate conditions and resources are exclusively for the use of foreigners and members of the governing elite. For ordinary Cubans it is extremely difficult to receive medical attention.
Thousands of doctors and other health professionals, as well as essential medical resources, are diverted from public health and directed to political missions in countries such as Venezuela, Bolivia, Nicaragua and Ecuador. To this end, thousands of tons of medicines, medical equipment and indispensible resources are donated. Missions carried out at the expense of increasing the deprivations suffered by Cubans.
The strategy of such a policy is centered on exporting Communist ideology to recipient countries, disguised as humanitarian actions. With the thousands of doctors and tons of resources expropriated from the Cuban population, consciences are manipulated, votes are assured in electoral campaigns and totalitarian systems are legitimated.
On the Island there is an alarming deficit of medicines, including essential medicines such as vitamins, antiacids and analgesics. Performing a simple medical exam or treatment is an Odyssean journey due to the lack of reagents and therapeutic or diagnostic equipment. This is the case with analyses of hemoglobin, glycemia, urine, or electrocardiograms, X-rays, ultrasounds, physiotherapy and other basic procedures.
It is time for the ignominy to end. CUBANS have every right to fully enjoy the capacities of the Nation. This is acknowledged in legislation presently in force. All marginalization is worthy of condemnation for the negative consequences it brings, and still worse when its genesis lies in the selfish interests of a small caste in power, and takes its condition from the origin of the nation.
Free Thoughts 
Tomorrow I’ll link you. Today it’s the day of protesting against Burmese Military Junta. A lot of blogs have stopped to denounce their situation.
Thanks for the tip. 😉
[…] Free Thoughts has the photo expose’……. One of the major accomplishments of 1959 Castroite revolution has been turning once-world class hospitals of Cuba into places where not even pigs would ever enter. This is Cuban healthcare. For ordinary people, of course. […]
[…] Wonders of Cuban Healthcare – Part I UPDATE: English Translation of Report One of the major accomplishments of 1959 Castroite revolution has been turning once-world class hospitals of Cuba into […] […]
[…] Michael Moore Didn’t Show You October 4th, 2007 — nicedeb A doctor in Cuba took some pictures via cell phone of three hospitals that Michael Moore apparently didn’t […]
I was thinking in asking you if the US could have something to do with the state of the hospitals… but then i read more notes in your blog and i found that you and me are in opposite camps of thoughs.
Still, is kind of weird to found someone so different of everything you know, weird indeed.
It is good to have the freedom to think! Please go on with informing all common citizens of this development
NON POSSO ACCETTARE QUESTO MODO DI IMPORRE LA SOFFERENZA ,MA COSA POSSIAMO FARE PER CAMBIARE IL MONDO? A VOLTE LA SOFFERENZA è L’UNICA COSA CHE SI VEDE IN CERTE SITUAZIONI, MA PERCHè GLI ESSERI UMANI SONO CIECHI SORDI E MUTI? DI COSA HANNO PAURA’ DI VIVERE HANNO PAURA DI VIVERE E DI PRETENDERLO , QUELLA CHE VEDO IN QUESTE FOTO NON è VITA , è L’ANTICANERA DELLA MORTE , CIAO UN ABBRACCIO.
I’m having trouble understanding what exactly your saying with this article. I suggest you read some William Blum before you make too many harsh judgements on Cuba or their hospitals. You might like to write about another accomplishment of the castroite revolution, the expulsion of the mafia from cuba. peace
The Mafia in Cuba is STILL THERE. If there’s another accomplishment of the robolucion is that today there’s a mafia led by the Castro brothers and the Communist Party, which includes TOURIST, HEALTH APARTHEID. No ordinary Cuban can enter a hotel, a tourist village or a beach full of tourists, unless he/she is allowed to by the party or is an unconditional militant who ‘did his work very well’ (read: participated in ‘repudiation acts’ and savage beatings against peaceful dissidents).
The then president Batista was not a dictator: he was an autocrat and nobody misses him. (he was even allied with the communists in the early years of his government, in case you didn’t know, given that I see you don’t know the history of Cuba). But he was far better than Castro. Castro is the one that established a one-party system. The revolution has been able to turn Cuba into a second Haiti. It has totally destroyed Cuba. But it has its days numbered, as democracy will ultimately prevail and there’s no escape, because democracy IS THE SOLUTION.
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[…] Wonders of Cuban Healthcare – Part I UPDATE Wonders of Cuban Healthcare – Part I UPDATE […]
Good article. It is linked from my site, also.
[…] Wonders of Cuban Healthcare – Part I UPDATE: English Translation of Report « Free Thoughts […]
Its amazing I tell you… After all this time there are still people who someone can dredge up the energy to apologize for this commie demagogue and come up with all sorts of delusional reasons why…
Do these same fools with such a tenuous grip on reality need someone to come by in the morning to remind them they have to take a few breaths to pump some oxygen into their pitiful excuses for gray matter?
What do we know about Cuba? How many of us have actually been there?
Ever since the revolution the US has had in place an embargo against this tiny island nation. We cannot travel there and do not allow them to come here. Yes we have some of their dissidents who proclaim loudly about the human rights abuses and such – but they are the ones that are unhappy with their homeland.
People from other countries can travel freely to Cuba. Many even go because of the ability of their health care. They are way out in front in developing a sustainable way of life.
Those pictures put me in mind of how we care for our military – remember Walter Reed?
Don’t be too harsh and quick to judge, please.
They made a movie about it: “The Death of Mr. Lazarescu”. You should check it out.
Having experienced first-hand the misperceptions about the US of people who have never been here, I appreciate the suggestion about not being too quick to judge.
However, that works both ways. If nothing else, some time spent reading blogs written by those who communicate with family still living in Cuba should make one pause before accepting the official picture of Cuban health care as the FULL picture.
To all who accuse me of being too harsh in my judgement: my opinion is based on the reality in Cuba. These photos are taken at the author’s own risk, by cell phone camera and barely escaping the political police’s monitoring. And yes, I am too harsh because I can’t stand injustice and Cuban healthcare is a big injustice because based on an apartheid system.
I’ve never been to Cuba, I’ll state that from the get go. I was simply asking what you are trying to say with this article. I’m just wondering why it is you think that the Cuban health system is any worse than that of other countries and in need of special attention. Why is it that you seem to think that socialised medical care is in principle a bad thing? Those photo’s do indeed show a neglected hospital but i also see people being cared for by nurses wearing what look like clean uniforms and a doctor (also wearing a clean uniform) putting on surgical gloves. One could also assume that correct hygiene protocols are being followed in the photos. It looks like it needs a lick of paint, I’ll agree with you there. But you have to look at the stats(the available stats that is). The life expectancy of a Cuban is equivalent that of a citizen of the USA and well above the world average. There does seem to be an apartheid system in Cuban health care but why do you feel that that is any different from a privatised system which discriminates against people based on net worth.
Weekend Wrap Up
Jo’s Weekend Wrap Up OTB Post
…
TO ACROMOSH:
wow…u leave me speechless…wow…There are people putting their lives at risk trying to get the word out on the ACTUAL Cuban health care system. Socialized medicine has yet to work in ANY part of the world. England has it, it sucks, and I have been there. Canada has it, it sucks, just look at the post natal care that is being done in the US on Canadian women. They are being shipped to the states by their own government because it is overcrowded, and just like what you see in these pictures, not enough doctors, medicine, or facilities. I have yet to see ANY socialized program work as planned. None, nothing. Social Security is going bust, because it has NOT been fixed. It was not meant to be a program for those to live on in retirement, just a supplement to help along. It needs to be fixed. As with any socialized program, u cannot further the program without money coming in. Capitalism is what makes our program more successful then any on the planet. Not perfect, but better then anything else…
I come from australia and we have socialised health care. I have as recently as 4 months ago had a hospital stay. It works very well here, I received exellent care from dedicated professionals. I’m not saying that this would not happen in private system as we have that here too. Those who are unable to look after themselves should be looked after by the greater community, it’s called social justice as defined by the greens party. Taxes, pay for health care among other things such as social security as you mentioned. It seems we’ve stepped into a broader political debate between democratic socialism and free market capitalism. I’d love to debate with you further. peace
france has socialised health care.
[…] 3rd, 2007 · No Comments [This entry responds to a post from Free Thoughts blog. FT reprints an article by a Dr. Ferrer who photographs struggling Cuban […]
Dr. Ferrer’s “expose” of Cuban health care is a Big Nothing from top to bottom. Read why at my blog here:
http://amerikanbeat.net/2007/11/03/dumbass-wordpress-post-on-cuba/
[…] link. Babalu Blog: Hysterics or Hysterical? Check out the pictures and report at this link. Wonders of Cuban Healthcare – Part I UPDATE: English Translation of Report Free Thoughts __________________ ΜOΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ Three groups spend other […]
[…] (Castro -más aquí-, Kim) mientras sus respectivos ciudadanos viven una vida miserable (Cuba -1, 2-, Corea del Norte). Sin embargo, aún más preocupante (el que la China comunista esté apenada […]
Hay ya think the Hospitals are bad !!!
You should see some of my pictures of my wife (Cuban) get her teeth worked on by the Las Tunas Dentist,
The equimpment was dirty and archach, all pre-parastroika !!!
If you have ever seen the Musical movie “Little Shop of Horrors” with Steve Martin as a sadistic Dentist…… You would rather go to him the a small town cuban Deintist.
[…] in which its supporters were considering it the best in the world… even after seeing these photos and these videos afterwards. Very interesting to see the comments: there are people who are not […]