While Cuba’s healthcare system has its shortcomings, the benefits of a socialist government cannot be denied. When the Cuban revolution began, Fidel Castro wanted to make Cuba as democratic as possible. He envisioned an industrialized nation with universal health care and nation wide literacy. In terms of providing healthcare and an improved education system to Cubans, the revolution was successful. With this being said, the government cannot be held entirely responsible for curing mental illness for all its citizens. The goal of the revolution was to create a health system that would allow all of Cuba’s citizens to have access to healthcare, and Castro was fortunate in this aspect. However, while some people benefited from the revolution,
Mental illness is nondiscriminatory, can affect any person and transcends all social boundaries. As a result, the issues surrounding mental illness have become common discussion pints among policymakers dedicated or required to formulate solutions around providing the long-term care needed by many patients. Healthcare reforms and changes to the systems that provide services to those living with mental illness and funding for services to the facilities providing care have become major social issues (Goldman, Morrissey, Ridgley, Frank, Newman, & Kennedy, 1992). The reason for this is primarily how it can affect a market economy and how much of a burden diseases of the mind can be in a country such as the United States. According to the 1991 Global Burden of Disease study conducted by the World Health Organization mental health burden accounted for “more than 15% in a market economy such as the U.S.” (The Impact of Mental Illness on Society, 2001). The study also states that for individuals over the age of 5, varying forms of depression are the leading cause of disability. A more recent study indicates that mental illness in general is found in more than 26% of the United States adult population, of which 6% are severe and limit the patient’s ability to function (Martin, p. 163. 2007).
Cuba and the United States of America have completely opposite economies. Cuba’s economy is based on the few natural resources that the country owns while the economic system in The United States is capitalist and can be recognized for its noticeable development in agriculture, energy, and other resources that keep the country expanding and provides jobs as well as a good quality of life for its residents. On the other hand, Cuba’s economy, is predominantly poor, to the point where a very huge percent of its population suffers from
One of the most famous and valuable changes that Castro made within Cuba during his ruling years was that he created the institution of universal health care allowing free access for all the people of Cuba which was a drastic comparison to the poor and inaccessible health services before 1959 by previous leaders. Soon after Fidel Castro began making changes to the economy the U.S. government initiated massive operations, operations that were conducted by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to ‘get rid’ of Castro to discontinue any further plans in Cuba that would conflict with American interest and profit in Cuba. The CIA tried hundreds of times to kill Castro and one after the other each attempt ended in failure, many of these assassination attempts did not bother Castro in the least but one CIA-influenced attempt to usurp him of his title as the leader of Cuba created a vast animosity between Fidel Castro and U.S. government known as the Bay of Pigs Invasion which occurred from April 17-19, 1961. This was a botched attempt conducted indirectly by the CIA, in which exiles of Cuba who had landed in Florida fleeing from Castro’s reach were trained by the CIA operatives and
Castro 's regime has been credited with opening 10,000 new schools and increasing literacy to 98 percent.(Cuba Headlines 2009). Cubans enjoy a universal health care system, which has decreased infant mortality to 11 deaths in 1,000(Vanguard News 2016).
This article is a summary in a medical journal about the state of the Cuban Health care system. It begins with describing the current state of Cuba – vilified by the majority of the western world, and by extension the medical community. After, it talks about how despite this Cuba has managed to be successful in nearly every area of health and medicine. After, it discusses reasons for this and how this happens despite the vast majority of the Cuban population being extremely poor and how there is a high degree of income inequality. Cuba has also invested heavily in the export of bio pharmaceuticals and has become extremely successful in this regard. They no longer rely on Russia for all their infrastructure, and can stand up on the own. Childrens'
Cuban healthcare is a unique system that came about as a result of campaign promises from Fidel Castro in 1959. Although during Batistas rule doctors were well trained and respected, most all the countrys health services and facilities were located in concentrated population centers. The lack of access to rural farmers and families had created marked disparities between the two groups. However, as Fidel rose to power, his new state would act to provide free and accessible care to all citizens of Cuba.2 He set very specific policy goals for the country such as:
For example “Two thirds of countries spent 1 percent or less of their health budget on mental health, and half had only one psychiatrist per 100,000 people.” (Clare Nullis). This just shows you that there is lots of countries where people who have mental disabilities and illnesses have limited access to healthcare they need or no access at all. As a result of people with mental illness or disabilities not having access to the proper healthcare they need “About 25 percent of countries don't have the three most commonly prescribed drugs to treat schizophrenia, depression and epilepsy.”(Clare Nullis). With people not having the prescribed drugs they need to treat their condition shows that they don’t have the proper healthcare they need to completely treat their illness or disability. Although “More than 80 percent of people with schizophrenia could be free of relapses at the end of one year of treatment with anti-psychotic drugs and adequate family support. Up to 60 percent of sufferers of depression could recover with the proper combination of antidepressants and therapy. Up to 70 percent of epileptics could be seizure free if treated with simple, inexpensive anti-convulsants, it said.”(Clare Nullis). Again these statistics prove that if people with mental illnesses and disabilities had the proper healthcare they need they could be treated really
When asking any Canadian citizen why he or she loves Canada, one of the main reasons will usually include the free health care. The health care system is one aspect of Canada that makes citizens patriotic and proud and makes those from other countries, like the United States, a bit envious. All around the world, Canada is known to have a reputation for the great healthcare and free health care policy. With such a wonderful system, it is hard to believe that the mental health care system is subpar compared to all other aspects of the health care system. Due to lack of funding, support, and accessibility, Canada’s mental health care system is not able to provide satisfactory care for those with mental illness.
In this writing assignment I will describe the healthcare conditions of the Dominican Republic and will offer a brief look at the country’s history, and current status health and economic status. The primary focus will be the country’s healthcare and economic systems as they pertain to access to care, quality of care, primary health determinants, and the financial situation surrounding the county.
History The Second Republic (1931 to 1936) was an important time in Spain for their healthcare system. The political parties in power at this time supported the introduction of a social insurance system, even though each party had different ideas and political intentions. There were other significant changes during this time like universal suffrage and the establishment of a piece of legislation that allowed for freedom of speech and association. All this movement stopped when the dictator of Spain, Franco, started and was the catalyst for the Spanish Civil War in 1936.
Ignorance, misconceptions, and fear about the nature of mental health issues in the Soviet Union were chiefly responsible for the restrictive availability of effective treatments for mentally ill Soviets. Soviet psychiatry was originally rooted in the principle that unhealthy social dynamics were the primary cause of mental deficiencies. This naturally meant that treatment options were primitive in the early years of the Soviet Union, as physicians did not appreciate the biological factors driving mental illness. Psychiatric treatment was viewed with suspicion by many Soviet citizens, with many people hesitating to seek treatment due to fear that their reputations would be irreparably damaged if their mental struggles were exposed. Soviet
This epidemic that had evolved into a Haiti had transformed my vision. There were so much different things that made it difficult for the people to believe the government. I felt the government didn’t work as they should.
Also, there isevidence that access to medical care by prisone! rs is intentionally withheldfrom prisoners of conscience, and other prisoners that criticized the Cubangovernment. Amnesty International reports that suspected critics of thegovernment are being harassed with threats, eviction, loss of employment, andeven short-term incarceration. Even more disturbing is that these violationsare merely a fraction of the true number of human rights breaches that theCuban government is guilty of committing (“Amnesty International 2002Report”). But the human rights violations are not the only reason actionneeded to be taken towards Cuba.
In common with many other countries across the world, mental illness is stigmatized in Russia. Rates of mental illness are high in Russia. There was some kind of shame if you have someone ill in your family. In the days of communism, people who were diagnosed as mentally ill were locked up in psychiatric hospitals and denied contact with the outside world. Mental health has traditionally been a low priority within the Russian health system. There services are predominantly funded through the government’s budget rather than the populations need, or the problem
After the revolution, health care and education improved enormously. While before the revolution only 30% of rural children had teachers, primary education became compulsory under Castro. However the education was often biased, and information which would undermine Castro’s regime was not taught, and was also kept out of the media, books and newspapers. Half a million Cubans fled Cuba to work in America, and appeared to enjoy a much better life there. The