The guide said that a Cuban would go to the doctor -- a visit free of charge -- who would write a prescription for aspirin. However, there would be no way to fill the prescription. We visited a pharmacy later in the trip. Behind the counter five well-dressed Cuban women waited to serve, but the shelves were empty. The only items in sight were the monthly ration of sanitary napkins, 10 permitted per Cuban woman per month." This is the paradox of Cuban healthcare -- it is readily available, but if somebody really does need medicine, such as in the case above, to get better, this may not be readily available.

Some articles, however, do not agree with the one written above. For example, the Guardian UK states that there are various programs that do help some parts of the population. For example, senior citizens benefit from exercise classes or other health related classes. The UK newspaper gives a whole slideshow, where each slide speaks about a different means in which Cubans benefit from the system. The article also includes Cuban rations, which are also very interesting:

"A Cuban adult's monthly food ration: 3.8kg of rice, 283g of dried beans, 2.3kg of sugar, 113g ounces of coffee, about two cups of cooking oil, 10 eggs, a bag of salt, a bar of soap, a tube of toothpaste, 226g of dried pasta, 226g of sweetened cocoa, 1.8kg of potatoes, 30 bread rolls and a bottle of dishwashing liquid. [They also receive] crackers, 283g of fish, 226g of chicken and a little less than 500g inexpensive meat products."

From this quote, one may already state that this is unfair, that the people in Cuba are truly not benefitting from the system, and may start to question whether the "good sides" of the system are put forward for foreigners. However, other proponents beg to differ. Another article states that the system is actually world class, and is proven with a great life expectancy for Cubans, which...

is at 78.1 years).
Findings

The paragraphs above presented a short history on Cuba, as well as the positives and negatives of its healthcare system, which were the primary examining point for the paper. The paper has thus found that there are many struggles in Cuba, and there are some struggles still with healthcare, as not everyone benefits from it equally. However, the truth is that the country's system is functioning, with one doctor for every hundred or so patients. Furthermore, the country's high life expectancy, which is as high as that of the U.S. almost, is proof that the country's health care system is functioning well, even though it is not perfect, and may be better functioning than even other social systems or the country's politics.

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