But people who come here are looking for another option, for a solution they couldn't find at home. They know there are good doctors here and 40 years of development of a strong medical system. Socialist Cuba, despite its famed legions of highly trained doctors, is no health-care paradise. Most hospital facilities for Cubans have peeling paint, missing light bulbs, and electrical and water outages. Doctors, short on supplies, are forced to reuse latex gloves, and patients bring their own sheets for hospital beds.
Medicines are scarce, in part because of the longstanding U.S. embargo against the island.
The island's tourist facilities, however, are another world. The receptionist offers brochures in Spanish, French and English. Cira Garcia's most sought-after service, Prado says, is plastic surgery. About 80 percent of patients come from Latin America and the Caribbean, but the facility has attracted clients from as far away as Japan and Finland. Prado claims 31 percent of the clinic's clients last year were repeat customers.