If a patient misses an appointment, he or she can expect a home visit. Health statistics are reported regularly. The next level of care is the polyclinic. Here, physicians, typically with specialist qualifications, take care of the patients referred by the primary care team. This interdisciplinary secondary care includes emergency care, obstetrics, and mental health.
Specialized hospitals treat more complicated problems.
Our group visited obstetric, pediatric and oncology hospitals, in addition to the internationally recognized Institutes of Tropical Medicine and Neurologic Rehabilitation. The goal of the health system appears to be universally applied high quality care. Committees of specialists are responsible for incorporating new knowledge into appropriate standard management regimens for national application. And although medical technology is clearly limited in Cuba because of the US trade embargo, much of what is needed is produced domestically. Nevertheless, problems were evident in the pharmacies, where shelves were distressingly bare.