Healthcare System of Cuba



Health Care System of Cuba

Introduction

The National Health System is governed by territorial administrative hierarchical structure. The Ministry of Public Health of Cuba (MINSAP), the governing body of the National Health System, has a functional structure and is responsible for directing, implementing and monitoring the policy of State and Government in terms of public health and development of Medical Sciences.

According to a report by the State Department of the United States, in 1957 Cuba ranked third in Latin America and was ahead of European countries such as the UK or Finland in terms of doctors and dentists per capita. Most of the children in the camps suffered from intestinal parasites and as half of all Cubans were classified low nutrition (hunger). 60% of doctors and 80% of hospital beds were in Havana just had a hospital in Cuba in the weak field, farm workers received medical attention if paid, indicating that most had no access to health care (Nayeri, 1995).

Since the triumph of the Revolution in 1959 and the nationalization of health policies were applied strong innovations and expansion in this field. In 1958, the country had only 826 nurses and nursing assistants, while today the figure reaches 84,232 specialists. In 1959, there were only modest schools 8 nursing, while these have now become health polytechnics 24 are formed where nurses, 14 polytechnics health and nursing only two emerging schools, for a total of 40 sites training of nurses, continuing his studies that can achieve the degree of Bachelors of Nursing.

Between 1980 and 1985, institutions were founded as the Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, National Centre for Scientific Research, the Heart of William Soler Paediatric Surgery (largest in the world), the Immunoassay Centre and Transplant Centre and Regeneration of the Nervous System. It was possible to create a magnetic resonance device with Evalimage system for visualization and analysis of thermographic images and Cuban laser scalpel. In Cuba conducting transplant kidney, liver, heart and heart- lung began. Also contributions were made to medicine and vaccine meningococcal meningitis, human leukocyte interferon alpha, the discovery of a substance that cures vitiligo and obtaining epidermal growth factor (Newman, 2012).

While the government maintains that all Cubans have access to doctors, nurses, specialists and medicines, the latter were limited by the restrictive effects on the availability of resources for the disappearance of the Soviet bloc, its main supplier, the enactment of the CDA numerous firms that had traditionally sold medical equipment or components to Cuba suspended operations for denying the Treasury Department.

Many physicians apply both traditional therapies such as acupuncture, herbal medicine or other, for example, is used analgesia acupuncture including surgeries older, especially in cases where the patient's health advises against anaesthesia general. According to Health Ministry data, this method was used in more than 24,000 transactions between 2001 and 2002. The use of alternative medicine is controversial because many critics within the medical profession who argue that alternative treatments are inferior to standard treatments or modern (Cooper, ...