"Cuban Medicine teaches the people to meet quality and humanism," says activist

"Cuban Medicine teaches the people to meet quality and humanism," says activist
By José Coutinho Junior

Health in Brazil has been the subject of much debate in recent weeks, both caused by the demonstrations in the streets, demanding more improvements and investments in the area, as the recent government proposals to bring doctors from other countries to work in the poorest regions.

These proposals, as well as the obligation of students in public universities serve two years in the Unified Health System (SUS), has been the target of strong criticism of the associations of doctors, who do not claim that these are the solutions to the problems.

The Main MST talked to Augustus Caesar and Andreia Campigotto, two militants of the Movement and trained in medicine in Cuba, on the subject.

Born in Chapecó and 25 years of life, Augustus Caesar has not practicing profession. Is studying to take the test for revalidation of Cuban law and thus be able to act in Brazil. When you get your record, you want to work in rural areas, given the landless settlers and Agrarian Reform.

Andreia Campigotto is 28 years old and was born in Nova Ronda Alta (RS). Cajazeiras works in the interior of Paraiba, a resident in family medicine in a primary care unit, which serves a community of 4000 people.

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The Cuban medical school lasts six years. For students from other countries, it starts at the Latin American School of Medicine, located in Havana. After an initial period of two years, students are sent to various universities in the country. Andreia Augusto and went to university in the province of Camagüey.

The Cuban medical school does not differ much from the Brazilian point of view curriculum.

"The first two years working with the medical sciences. Studied human physiology, human anatomy, and since the first year we have contact with the health posts. When we distributed to universities, experience the public health system. Compared to Brazil, the theoretical level is equal, but the practice level is higher, "said Augustus.

"A federal government study shows the compatibility of curricula medicine 90% between Brazil and Cuba. So, no major theoretical differences, "says Andrea.

The main difference between the two courses is the conception of medicine and health in the training of doctors. "The course is geared towards the Brazilian high specialties. This logic is that you do medicine, enters a residence and specializes. Already in the course Cuba is back to primary health care, to understand the logic of disease prevention and treatment of diseases that communities might have, "says Augusto.

In contrast, "health" and "medicine" in Brazil are synonymous with requests for examinations and treatment with various drugs, footwear mostly in high-tech. Thus, preventive medicine is in the background, feeding an industry based on the requirement of these
"In Brazil, we have a limitation on professional training, as it is geared to the model hospitalacêntrico, thinking only disease and treatment. In Cuba it has been overcome. There they form professionals to treat and care quality, humanism and love each patient; actually learned to deal with human health, "says Andrea.
She points out that doctors trained in the island are able to meet the population without using only high-tech, a condition that does not necessarily limits a quality service to the population that most needs.
"It's cheaper to health promotion and prevention. However, it breaks with the dictatorship of money. With this, doctors await the patient sick to ask a lot of exams and take a lot of medications, "says Augusto
According to him, this structure strengthens the medical-industrial complex, which favors whenever someone is hospitalized or need some medication.
"We do not deny the need of medicines and equipment because we need to pay attention to this type of patient. But we need not wait for all the people sick to begin work on the issue of health, "says Augusto.
In this series of reports, the two reported differences between courses and the conception of medicine in Cuba and Brazil, Brazilians think of the problems in relation to health and advocate a medicine that serves to provide quality Brazilian people. On Wednesday (29/07), and Andreia Augusto count as evidence for revalidation of foreign diplomas, and analyze the gentrification of medicine in universities.
Source: MST