Cuban Fiascos By Dr. Evelyn Higgins

The Bay of Pigs, The Cuban Missile Crisis and following Cuba's healthcare model are all American bad ideas! The Cuban system of healthcare has been touted by many critics of our current healthcare delivery system as a master plan for us to follow. These critics of the U.S. system have tried to copy and tell us how wonderful the system works in Cuba, and use it as a guide for 'universal healthcare' in the United States. Currently, Cuba is undergoing a major overhauling due basically to a system that worked in theory but not in reality - in the long run.

I as an American look to the log run; short term is also short sighted. We are neophytes in the history of the world and need to remember that as we take on major overhauling of systems, which impact our citizens greatly. Cuba has changed hands and now with Raul Castro taking over as President after his brother Fidel, we see a healthcare system, which in reality is in very poor condition and greatly understaffed with physicians. The system started with great theoretical plans, which in reality failed miserably. [more...]