English Health Care Studies Cuban System
People in the United States who are not covered often visit emergency rooms, because they have not had any kind of preventive care.
Research conducted in England shows that both England and the United States might have something to learn from a tiny nation, much maligned, that has managed to cover all of its citizens with high-quality care. That nation is Cuba.
Cuba is the small, island nation off the south coast of the United States, controversial because it clings to communism for its governing political theory.
The United Kingdom is studying Cuba's health system in an effort to improve its own National Health System.
Dr. Una Lynch, of the UK, summarized her findings at the Changing Aging Partnership seminar.
One of the reason that Dr. Lynch thinks that Cuba's health system is a success is that it has achieved a life expectancy of 77 years. This compares favorably to the United States life expectancy of 78 years. The achievement is even more surprising when one realizes that Cuba is truly an underdeveloped nation, yet it has found equivalence to the United States, perhaps the most well-developed nation on Earth. Cuba is far, far ahead of other undeveloped nations, beating them in some cases by decades. The United Kingdom and Ireland have a life expectancy of 79 years.
Dr. Lynch attributes Cuba's success to its political commitment to health-care, and to the central position of the Cuban Ministry of Public Health. Also, primary care is the central focus of the system, and prevention gets the main emphasis, with health-care provided for all, not just those who can pay for it.
One of the most important characteristics of the Cuban health system is its adaptability and its use of strategic planning. Compared to England's health-care system, it is much more flexible. The Wanless report, the most recent study of the national health system of England, showed that strategic planning was lacking and that the system failed to respond adequately to citizens' needs, mostly from a lack of capacity or support.
Dr. Lynch points out that Cuba has attained these goals in spite of its isolation on the international scene, and in spite of its less than optimal economy. News from Cuba is often negative, and oftentimes news does not get through to the outside world because of Cuba's political situation.
English Study Cuba, Queen's College
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