A look at medical costs in Cuba vs. the US
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
What Cuba says it spends on medical services is a fraction of what it costs hospitals to provide the same services in the United States. A comparison of some medical procedures in the two countries:
— Cost per day for inpatient hospital stay: $5.49 in Cuba; $1,994 in the U.S.
— Inpatient hernia surgery: $14.59 in Cuba; $12,489 in the U.S.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
— Hip-fracture repair: $72.15 in Cuba; $14,263 in the U.S.
— Kidney transplant: $4,902 in Cuba; $48,758 in the U.S.
Cuban authorities did not reveal how they calculated their figures, but said careful study was involved.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
While some medical goods are imported, Cuba produces many medicines and labor costs are significantly lower than in the United States, with one doctor saying Cuban specialists earn $25 a month.
Cuban patients also often bring their own sterile bed sheets, hypodermic needles, food and water.
___
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Note: U.S. costs are from 2009. Sources: Granma; Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Cuban figures rely on the official currency exchange rate of 24 Cuban pesos to $1, though officials have never clarified whether that rate can be applied to interpret economic data.