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Earlier this week I posted an announcement of the Webinar "SHINING THE LIGHT ON CUBA'S MEDICAL SOLIDARITY" that will take place this Saturday evening. David Duport followed up with a question, "Cuba still charges host countries for these medical missions, right?" It's an important question that others have raised as well. Several list subscribers have weighed in on the matter, but I think that more can and should be said. Cuba's outstanding demonstration of medical internationalism during the COVID-19 pandemic has drawn world attention, provoking astonishment and admiration from many, and hostility and alarm from reactionaries in many quarters. The Trump administration is continuing to pressure countries to refuse Cuban offers of medical assistance. It has stepped up its campaign of lies and slanders about the island's international solidarity efforts. Turning to David's question, let's begin by noting that one core principle of the Cuban medical missions is that Cuban international assistance does not depend on the host country's ability to pay. A sliding scale is applied, and many countries where Cuban doctors and nurses serve, pay little or nothing. The case of Bolivia is instructive. Shortly after Evo Morales was elected president in 2006, Cuba began providing medical services to the country. The Cubans went to areas that had never seen a doctor or a nurse. Cuba covered the full cost of its medical missions. Over time, the Bolivian economy prospered while Cuba encountered serious economic problems. The terms of the agreement were then revised, and Bolivia began to pay some or all of the cost of the medical services from Cuba. (After the coup against Morales last October, the new authorities expelled the Cuban medical staff and terminated the agreement.) Another principle that Cuba insists on is that, however the host country's health system may be organised, the Cuban health workers do not charge their clients or patients for their services. Medical care is free to those who need it. Here I’d like to turn the floor over to a representative of the Cuban government. On Wednesday, in a live-streamed interview with CODEPINK, Cuba's Ambassador to Canada Josefina Vidal explained how her country finances the international medical missions, and what it does with the payments that it receives for their services. See https://tinyurl.com/ybpn8dyf . The portion dealing with the question of funding begins at approximately 16:00. (In a previous assignment, Josefina Vidal led the Cuban side in the negotiations with the Obama administration that resulted in the breakthrough in US-Cuban relations that were announced on December 17, 2014.) Another reliable source is the Canadian professor John Kirk. As Richard Fidler has noted, a recent interview with Kirk appears at https://johnriddell.com/2020/04/08/cubas-unique-model-of-medical-internationalism/ . Kirk's explanation is the same as Vidal's. For those interested in looking into Cuban medical internationalism in greater depth, I recommend Kirk's 2015 book, "Healthcare without Borders". Fortunately, both Josefina Vidal and John Kirk will participate as panelists during the webinar on Saturday night. An ample period for Q&A is planned, so anyone who wishes will be able to take up this question with them. The webinar will begin at 7 pm Eastern Time; registration is via https://tinyurl.com/ycg3frnx . Art Young _________________________________________________________ Full posting guidelines at: http://www.marxmail.org/sub.htm Set your options at: https://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
