It was an early morning rise as we all were scheduled to assemble in Miami
International Airport at 5:30 am to check in for our 8:30 flight to Havana,
Cuba. Most of us had little to no sleep for various reasons. Some due to
excitement of the trip, while others just arrived at 1 am on late night flights
from around the country.
The delegacy was comprised of people from many different healthcare
backgrounds. We had several physicians, nurses, and also many administrative
and financial personnel as well. Right from the onset we began to bond as a
united team with a clear goal in mind, to learn about the Cuban Socialized
Healthcare System.
We arrived at Jose Marti-Havana International Airport at 9:30 am right on
schedule. The weather was partly cloudy, breezy and a comfortable 70 degrees.
We departed the plane and were escorted directly into a processing center where
our visas and passports were checked for completeness. 1 person at a time, we
were checked, photographed, and then "buzzed" through a very small door
to the next area to complete entry into the country. On the other side were
more customs officials, "TSA" like agents, and medical personnel in
white uniforms to receive our medical forms. Right away I noticed one of the
medical personnel was a male in a nursing type uniform. I inquired if he was
indeed a registered nurse and he quickly responded and smiled stating yes he
was. I was very satisfied with his response because I was in the country only
20 minutes and I already had one of my questions answered regarding male nurses
in the work force.
After gathering our bags with minimal screening, we stepped outside to find
many Cuban citizens waiting on loved ones arriving from the United States on
our flight. Many just starred at us as we did the same. I began to hear several
spreading the word " ah Americanos"! At that time I began to greet
some of them at the front of the crowd with a simple "hola".
Just as many have heard, it was like stepping back in time. Immediately I
began to see the old cars from the 40's and 50's in the parking lot. Some were
taxis and others were private vehicles. But next to these remarkably maintained
vehicles, you would see newer modeled Hyundai's and Audi's. We were amazed at
the condition of most of these vehicles we were seeing. Many of us began taking
pictures of the cars in the parking lot. I am sure I have at least 50-100
pictures of the old cars alone! This is a unique snapshot of the transportation
as it was at the time of the Cuban Revolution that took place in the late 1950's.
After passing through processing center, we met our tour guide Rita. Rita is
a Cuban citizen that lived in New York for quite some time. Rita spoke very
good English and also served as our interpreter for the duration of the trip.
She welcomed us to Cuba, escorted us to our bus driven by Angelo, and we
departed on our 20 minute drive to the North Coast of Cuba to our hotel
"The Meliha Cohiba".
We greeted by the friendly staff at the hotel, then we went to a small
conference room on the 2nd floor of the hotel for a welcome session. We were
handed very tasty fruity drink, next to the tray of drinks was a bottle of
Cuban Rum. I do not know if there was any in the drink we were given, but it
was obvious at that point that they were very proud of their rum! After our
brief welcoming, we were given keys to our rooms and instructed to go and begin
enjoying the city.
Nine of us jumped into a cab and headed straight for Old Havana. This is the
area of the city were most of the tourist trade takes place. It is a very
historical sector of Havana. There is an entrance to the harbor there that is
surrounded by an old fort on both sides of the water. Many old cannon batteries
were still intact. These were used in many different time frames in the city's
history. It was a great place to begin taking pictures.
To end this first article, we found a local Cuban restaurant with a pirate
theme based on the history of that particular section of Havana. The setting
was on the top floor overlooking the Havana Harbor entrance with a view of the
old fort across the channel. We could not have asked for a better setting for
our first meal in Cuba.
In conclusion, I will be sharing many different aspects of my experience
during the once in a lifetime adventure. Included will be my perspective on the
healthcare system, cultural experiences we shared, and the propaganda that is
evident throughout the city and country. I will also share the perspective as
presented to our team by the health officials on how the US embargo has presented
a challenge to the Healthcare System in Cuba.
To read my entire series click here
Thanks for reading your comments and questions are welcomed and encouraged. Visit my website for further articles and resources