Cubans in the News

Babalu this morning has a post on Cuban doctors in Namibia pleading for help getting them out; three of them already got humanitarian visas and are on their way to the US.

Free healthcare in Canada has sort of hit a rough spot: Cuba. Medical tourism to Cuba is on the rise (doesn't Canada have free healthcare for all? why are people going out of Canada to get their services?). But that's not the newsworthy item. The Canadians going to Cuba to get the treatment their doctors in Canada wouldn't administer have filed their claims with Canada's medicare. Yup you read right, they are going to Cuba and are expecting Canada to foot the bill.

Now why would people with free healthcare go somewhere else for non free healthcare?

The growing phenomenon of medical tourism "is related to waiting lists" here. Lucie Vermette, HSI's president and co-founder, said she launched the company after she waited six months to see a specialist for what turned out to be a life-threatening condition; the specialist "had me on an operating table the next day."

Ahhh, wanting the cake and eating it too. Seems like social healthcare still has some kinks to overcome, if people are turning back to paid healthcare somewhere else.

On more positive news some Cubans have found freedom.