Socialism in action: Shortages of medicine in socialist Cuba puts the chronically ill in danger

This is the wonderful universal healthcare system in Cuba that is the envy of liberals. This is socialism in action.

Via Martí Noticias (my translation):

The chronically ill at risk over lack of medicine in Cuba

Doctors on the island are calling attention to the risks faced by the chronically ill because of lack of medicines in pharmacies, clinics, and hospitals.

In Manzanillo, in the province of Granma, Dr. Santiago Marquez Frias says the situation could put the lives of patients in danger.

“Those people with chronic illnesses cannot obtain their medication — those suffering from cardiovascular illness, the diabetics, the asthmatics — they are losing control of their illnesses and could in fact lose their lives,” said the physician.

The alternative being offered by the authorities is homeopathic medicine, but Marquez Frias said that at least in his location, the pharmacies that stock these natural products “don’t have much diversity of medications and neither is it affordable.”

In Songo la Maya, Santiago de Cuba, Dr. Roberto Serrano explains the difficulty of the situation faced by physicians, who know the treatment to prescribe, but their patients cannot obtain the medications.

“It’s quite difficult when you are conducting an examination and you can’t offer a patient proper attention because you are practically missing all types of medication.” Furthermore, he said, when you add in electrical blackouts and the lack of water, it works against providing quality healthcare.

Continue reading (in Spanish) HERE.