Cuba, The Very Model of Government-Run Health Care
In the Wall Street Journal today, Bret Stephens discusses a report on Cuban health care that appears in the current issue of Foreign Affairs magazine. As Stephens notes, the author, Laurie Garrett, makes it clear that she admires the Cuban health care system. She is nevertheless unable to prevent herself from noting that, of the 73,000 licensed physicians in Cuba, more than half work overseas, and that, of the half that remains in Cuba, some large but unknown number drive taxis, work in hotels, or take other jobs rather than work for the $25 a month they would receive by remaining in medicine. So much for the Cuban doctor-patient ratio. A low infant mortality rate? Yes, if you believe the Cuban statistics. (Which a lot of well-informed and reasonable people most certainly do not.) But what about the high rate of maternal mortality? "Most deaths," Garrett writes, "occur during delivery or within the next 48 hours and are caused by uterine hemorrhage or postpartum sepsis."
Viva la revolucion.
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May '10
Re: Cuba, The Very Model of Government-Run Health Care
Considering the article's conclusions, maybe "viva" is not the right word - "muerto" (or the proper conjugation thereof) seems more apt.
May '10
Re: Cuba, The Very Model of Government-Run Health Care
Clearly, they need to bring Ignacz Semmelweis back to life.
May '10
Re: Cuba, The Very Model of Government-Run Health Care
Matthew, I believe it would be "se muera".
Peter, isn't this just all the more convincing evidence of the great damage done by American imperialism and capitalism?