Friday, November 25, 2005

Free Health Care for Who?

Often it is reported that Cuba has been sending it's doctors abroad. Moreover, when arguing with a castro sympathizer, many times the "wonders" of Cuban medicine are extolled.

Yet, what good is it to boast of doctors and medicine, when the Cuban people are deprived of these commodities?

Case in point:

I was surfing the web today and stumbled across havanajournal.com, a website, that I used to frequently visit -and frequently fight in. A "moderate" website, who's publisher, to my disgust, toured Cuba does in fact post, on occasion, incedibly short and lucid posts like: Jose Marti Biography. Today I found a post he published on what medicines to bring when traveling to Cuba.

Here's a snipet:
Cuba's pharmacies are woefully void of pharmacueticals, both prescription and over the counter. There are dollar only "Tourist Pharmacies", but your best bet is to bring with you whatever you may even remotely THINK you may need.

WHAT?! The pharmacies are "woefully void?" But what about all that great medical advancement and free health care that we hear goes on in Cuba? What about fidel's 1000's of doctors that he was willing to send as relief for Kartina? Or his doctor abroad program where medicine and supplies are brought to countries in need? How can Cuba have such a great health care when tourists, who are treated as kings, need to bring their own medicine to Cuba?

When one doesn't look after their own, they are guilty of the greatest abuse one can commit: neglect. When fidel is willing to sacrifice whatever meager supplies of medicine the Cuban people have in order to show off to the world community, he has in fact neglected his own people for a global spotlight.

Neglect is fidels legacy. For the past 45 years fidel has neglected the lives, rights, freedoms, and liberty of his own people for his own hunger for attention and power. Yes, he's sent "missionary doctors" to "help" countries in need. Yet, what good is it to help others, when you can't help your own? And as for those who boast of Cuba's great advancement in medicine and free healthcare, supposing for a second that it's true, how can one make these claims in lieu of articles and first hand experiences to the contrary -like havanajournal's post.

If we suppose that there is indeed free health care, then in light of the empty pharmacies, and Cuba's medicine abroad program, it must be asked: free health care for who?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Free health care would be a great aspect to everyone and would be a dream come true.