Cuban Doctors Receive Laughable Pay Increase
While the Communist nation is certainly further along this disastrous path than America, our current situation reveals vague similarities.
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Avatar of B. Christopher Agee B. Christopher Agee — March 24, 2014
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There is no shortage of speculation regarding the ultimate effects of ObamaCare on our economy and healthcare system. A peek into our potential future can be found in a nation that has long embraced the socialized medicine model: Cuba.
Recent reports indicate that doctors in the nation have been approved for a raise that will more than double their current salaries. While that might appear to be a positive trend for medical professionals, they are now bringing home just $25 per month.
Communist newspaper Granma reported the decision by Cuban president Raul Castro as an acknowledgment of the profession’s fiscal impact. Through their work around the world, Cuban doctors are responsible for adding more than $8 billion each year to the nation’s economy – nearly twice as much as all of Cuba’s exports combined.
Not only do those doctors practicing in that country receive a pittance compared to their occupational output; Cuban medical professionals abroad see the vast majority of their income ripped away and added to Castro’s reserves.
One such doctor employed in Brazil recently sought asylum because she found out about three-fourths of her $4,000 monthly salary would go directly to the Cuban government. In response, she and the approximately 11,000 other Cuban doctors practicing in that nation received raises – though only to about $1,245 per month.
Still, Granma is dutifully touting the pay raises both at home and abroad as a sign of progress, explaining they will “contribute to the stability and quality of medical services to the public while also meeting international commitments.”
As it stands, Americans are less inclined to study medicine than in previous generations. Uncertainty regarding the future of the profession, skyrocketing educational costs, the increased threat of lawsuits, and shrinking salaries combine to make becoming a doctor less appealing than ever.
While the Communist nation is certainly further along this disastrous path than America, our current situation reveals vague similarities. The U.S., for example, also has a mainstream media dedicated to toeing the party line regarding ObamaCare.
–B. Christopher Agee
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http://www.westernjournalism.com/cuban-doctors-receive-laughable-pay-increase/#wLTvXoAUIWr7ZzpG.99
