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Dan Nelson

Marcia Hughes

ENG 1201

3/17/2018

Casebook

The questions my research project seeks to answer are regarding Cuba’s social programs

60 years after the Revolution overthrew the government of US-backed dictator Fulgencio

Batista. Focusing primarily on the medical system lauded around the world, this project will

reflect on the revolutionary aims of this program, its successes, failures and implementation.

Guevara, Che, and David Deutschmann. Che Guevara Reader: Writings on Politics &

Revolution. Ocean, 2003, 112-120.

This collection of writings (published in 2003) by the late Cuban Revolutionary Ernesto “Che”

Guevara provides essays, speech transcripts and letters written from the time of the Revolution to

his death in 1967. The piece of relevance to my research paper is a speech given to Cuban

Medical students in 1960, regarding revolutionary politics and medical practice. Che’s credibility

here is unquestionable, as he was not only a key leader and thinker in the revolutionary army but

was also a doctor. From the standpoint of providing both historical and ideological background

for the Cuban medical system, this is a very relevant source to my paper.
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Iatridis, Demetrius S. “Cuba’s Health Care Policy: Prevention and Active Community

Participation.” Social Work, vol. 35, no. 1, Jan. 1990, p. 29. https://web-b-ebscohost-

com.sinclair.ohionet.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=3&sid=3e4afde1-2154-

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The late Demetrius Iatridis, professor of Social Policy and Planning at Boston College, wrote this

article detailing the Cuban Healthcare System and its structure/focuses in 1990 for the

publication “Social Work. Professor Iatridis explores the revolutionary roots of Cuban

Healthcare, analyzes the focus of prevention through primary care, and contrasts

spending/structures with systems like the US. The audience for the piece appears to rightfully be

social workers and healthcare professionals. Professor Iatridis is a credible source, described by

Boston College’s Memorium upon his passing as a “widely acknowledged… esteemed

researcher and teacher in social policy and social welfare.” Despite the fact that this piece is

dated (from 1990), coming from such an esteemed source detailing the basic structure and focus

of Cuban Healthcare, it is still highly relevant.

Lambie, George. “Healthcare in Cuba: A Model for Sustainability?” Journal of Holistic

Healthcare, vol. 8, no. 2, Aug. 2011, pp. 38–41. https://web-b-ebscohost-

com.sinclair.ohionet.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=3&sid=d056e7fa-0e0b-

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Appearing in the “Journal for Holistic Healthcare” in August of 2011, Professor George

Lambie’s piece discusses what can be learned from the Cuban healthcare system and gives a

Cuban context for it. The thesis of the piece is that Cuba’s achievements in healthcare have not
been adequately been represented in the United States, primarily because of hostility towards

socialism. Given that this is a holistic health publication, the intended audience for the article is

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healthcare providers. George Lambie, according to his bio with De Montfort University,

specializes in Latin American politics and has particular interest in Revolutionary Cuba, holding

the title of Visiting Professor of the University of Havana Cuba. These credentials more than

qualify him to discuss these matters. Professor Lambie’s article will assist me on my research

project via his unique experience with the subject matter, and providing an authoritative source

with Cuban perspective.

Kirkland, Deborah. “A US Patient in Havana: Health Care the Cuban Way.” MEDICC

Review | A US Patient in Havana: Health Care the Cuban Way, Jan. 2019,

http://mediccreview.org/a-us-patient-in-havana-health-care-the-cuban-way/

This brief testimonial, published in January 2019 in the Cuban Health magazine MEDICC

Review, details US citizen and doctoral candidate Deborah Kirkland’s experiences as a patient

within the Cuban medical system. It is a testament to the differences and approaches of the

system, uniquely from an American patient’s and health practitioner’s perspective. The purpose

of the piece is to contrast US and Cuban healthcare, and it’s intended audience are those in the

healthcare field. While I found it difficult to track the author down, as she has a very common

name, the scholarly reputation and extensive editorial board of MEDICC speak for themselves.

This article will assist me with my project by giving a unique patient perspective, from a

healthcare provider.
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Reed, Gail. “Cuba’s Primary Health Care Revolution: 30 Years On.” Bulletin of the World

Health Organization, vol. 86, no. 5, May 2008, pp. 327–329. https://web-b-ebscohost-

com.sinclair.ohionet.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=2&sid=f4fa89f7-b254-

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This article, appearing in the World Health Organization’s bulletin in May of 2008, is written by

Gail Reed, an American journalist and founder of MEDICC (another source I’m using). The

piece focuses primarily on the polyclinic: small regional/neighborhood clinics key to the Cuban

medical system. The audience for the piece is once again healthcare professionals and those

affiliated with the World Health Organization. Reed reflects on the last 30 years of Cuban

Healthcare, and how it is rising to new challenges. She notes how the polyclinics have played the

key role in preventative care, which is the focus of Cuba’s system. Gail Reed is a credible source

because of her affiliation with MEDICC, a source I’ve determined to be very credible. This piece

will help me with my research by the extensive focus it has on polyclinics, which are the

centerpiece of the Cuban Medical System.

Salud the Film, 2006, www.saludthefilm.net/.

¡Salud! was released in 2006 from director Connie Fields, is association with MEDICC

healthcare professionals like Gail Reed. The film “hits the road with the 28,000 Cuban health
professionals serving in 68 countries” to showcase Cuban internationalism with regards to

healthcare, and documents international students studying in Cuba. It follows Cuban doctors

around the world in developing countries in Africa and South America, examining the

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difficulties faced in public health and the role Cuba plays in assisting those nations. It is

extremely rich in information, including commentary from former US President Jimmy Carter. If

a former president’s testimony isn’t credibility enough, it is again a MEDICC aided project, and

their credibility has been demonstrated to me. This film is of immense value to me in my

research project, including massive amounts of information and demonstrating another aspect of

the Cuban system that cannot be overlooked: it’s international commitment to other

“developing” nations.

Warner, Rich. “Is the Cuban Healthcare System Really as Great as People Claim?” The

Conversation, The Conversation, 17 Sept. 2018, https://theconversation.com/is-the-

cuban-healthcare-system-really-as-great-as-people-claim-69526

PhD candidate Rich Warner’s article in “The Conversation” published in September of 2018

gives yet another perspective from someone close to the Cuban system, in this case someone

who trained as a doctor there. Warner gives up-to-date statistics, addresses growing concerns

within the medical system and maintains the Cuban model as a moral one, where the service of

the people is priority over making a large salary as a doctor. As someone who not only trained in

Cuba but is a PhD candidate continuing their studies, I’d say that Rich warner is acredible

source, who’s audience here is a broader spectrum of anyone curious about the Cuban system. It
is another good source from someone who has intimate knowledge of the subject, and has up-to-

date information.