Cuba - Foreign Patient Medicine

All foreigners have one option for their medical care while in Cuba. Clinica Central Cira Garcia was the place. When I arrived at the clinic, I walked inside and immediately noticed a difference from the atmosphere of the Cuban hospitals. The first thing I noticed was that everyone was white. It was surprising because the rest of the country had been so diverse. I told the receptionist what I was visiting for and she asked if I wanted to speak to a doctor. A doctor walked up and she suggested I interview him. I told him I was a student from Harvard and he was happy to be interviewed. I chuckled to myself that the Harvard name was known across cultures like this- unbelievable. The man didn’t speak any English, which was also surprising given that this was a hospital for foreigners. Dr. Carlos Fiueroa was the man I interviewed. He had been working at Cira Garcia since 1984. He’d seen all types of ailments come through his doors from trauma to sicknesses. Most of his patients were people from Mexico and Canada. It was interesting to me to see that they did certain surgeries in the exam room. I could see all the medical supplies labeled and in drawers lining the walls. The nurses were all female and they wore outfits that were reminiscent of Party City nurse Halloween costumes with the fishnet stockings, the tiny white hat, the dress. I was shocked to see the uniforms. While I didn’t see any male nurses, there were a few female doctors. In Cuba, a lot of people become doctors so it was easy to come across doctors in the streets going from place to place.

Clinica Central Cira Garcia + Dr. Carlos Fiueroa: