Thursday 5th February

Good Health!

With an average life expectancy of 78.2 years and an infant mortality rate of around 2 in a 1000, the advancement in health care is one of the proudest achievements of the Cuban Revolution. This morning we were taken to visit the Chiqui Gomez Polyclinic, one of eight in Santa Clara, to see first hand some of the work they do.

Most of the polyclinic patients are referred there by a family doctor to see a specialist and, because they are much more localised than the hospitals, they are much more convenient for the patients. However, they are also available to walk-in patients and emergency facilities are ready if required.

Among the areas we were able to see were the dental facilities, complete with fully modern equipment and 24 hour emergency care. As in Scotland, patients are encouraged to attend every 6 months for check-ups; unlike Scotland, patients are not charged for the privilege.

Of course, one of the most impressive aspects of the Cuban health system has been their ability to share these resources with other countries including Bolivia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Angola. When asked why they did this given the scant resources available, Clinic Director Pedro Ruiz Alvarez told us that, as doctors, they believe that poor health care anywhere was "ethically unacceptable."

In Pinar del Rio, where I am as I update this, there is one doctor to 215 people, compared to a UK average which is closer to one for every 500. It is this investment in 'human resources' to which Pedro credits the success of the system. The blockade obviously has an impact on their resources, but he insisted that they were learning to live with it, adding, "In the long term, the blockade will be more of a loss to the [US] government."