Posted on 04/29/2015 4:56:16 AM PDT by Jim Noble
IT HAS BEEN the hallmark of socialism in Venezuela: free, high-quality medical care. Late President Hugo Chávez changed the constitution to guarantee such right to all Venezuelans. But that same health care system is now crumbling under the weight of an economic crisis, causing a severe shortage of normal medical care and many avoidable deaths. Venezuela has grown increasingly alienated from the United States and its Central American neighbors, but its political estrangement doesn’t justify the lack of urgency from the international community. Although many places call out for medical intervention, Venezuela’s growing medical collapse deserves a significant dose of humanitarian aid from near and far.
A jarring report in The Wall Street Journal last month described the plight of sick Venezuelans. Many are dying because underfunded hospitals lack medical supplies, including basic medicines and medical products such as heart valves. Since 2003, it’s estimated that some 13,000 doctors have left the country. The Associated Press also reported on the ordeal of women with breast tumors. Doctors in Venezuela must sometimes resort to 1940s-type treatments: They are performing radical mastectomies in cases where radiation would be effective, because radiotherapy machines are just not available. Indeed, “Chávezcare” is falling apart by any measure.
The medical system in Venezuela is a symptom of an economy in shambles. Inflation is at 70 percent and the nation’s economy is expected to contract by 7 percent this year. Venezuelan hospitals imported only $200 million in medical equipment last year, down from $800 million four years ago. Only about 35 percent of the country’s hospital beds are operational. With medical supplies limited or unavailable, Venezuelans often are left to their own devices to find them.
Venezuela deserves its status as a political pariah: Its brutal crackdowns on its people have included a doctor who pointed out some obvious health risks at one hospital. Unfortunately, the recent US sanctions have only provided Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro with fodder to rile up support at home, despite his plummeting popularity. Last month, Maduro took out a full-page ad in The New York Times condemning the sanctions imposed by the Obama administration, stating that Venezuela is not a national security threat to the United States. According to CNN, the ad cost $100,000 — funds that could have saved lives had they been used instead to alleviate the crisis in the Venezuelan medical system.
President Obama and his counterparts in Latin America should seize the momentum and good will generated in Panama a few weeks ago at the seventh Summit of the Americas, which Cuba attended for the first time. “The best the US government can do regarding Venezuela is to stay quiet and work through our partners in the hemisphere that have much greater influence in Venezuela, such as Colombia, Mexico, and others in the region,” observes Jason Marczak, a Latin American expert at the Atlantic Council, a Washington foreign policy think tank. Indeed, there is huge potential for diplomacy in the region now that relations between the United States and Cuba are cordial. For the sake of many innocent victims of a moribund health care system, Venezuela’s medical crisis deserves America’s attention.
Venezuela should just adopt the superior Cuban Health Care System. Better yet the Venezuelans should emigrate to Cuba.
The Leftist media always blames the U.S. for the shambles in the Cuban economy, but we didn’t have an embargo against Venezuela. Could it be that Socialism is, and always has been. a colossal failure? Nah….
They pigged out on nearly all the cake, and now they want my piece of cake? No way. They wanted their system, they have their system. It doesn’t matter how many heart valves they might have in stock, if 13,000 doctors have fled the country, who will put them in? Imported Cuban mechanics?
Humanitarian aid, yes - I can see that. However any aid is rendered at the risk that the government will simply confiscate whatever goods cross the border, rendering aid to non at all.
Such is the nature of the Venezuelan government and socialism.
IT HAS BEEN the hallmark of socialism in Venezuela//
is this a good newspaper or a rag? don’t know. Can’t imagine socialist medicine EVER being good.
actually, quite sure I would be dead from colon cancer and fiancé dead from breast cancer in this country.
Both of us are doing Great regarding the VERY early removal of problem tissue.
INSANE
“Venezuela’s Medical Crisis Requires World Attention”
Well....geniuses, you broke it, you bought it, you fix it.
Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.
This is obviously a vicious slander of the progressive leadership of Venezuela.
Everyone knows that thousands of brilliant Cuban doctors provide world-beating healthcare to the people of Venezuela.
“Socialismo y muerte” or something like that...
How much money were the “editors” at the Boston Globe paid for by Maduro’s henchmen to submit this crap?
We have our own medical crisis here in the USA. It is collapsing under the weight of all the free loaders. We already let in 50+ million people from 3rd world countries, to go immediately on welfare. If the editors at the Boston Globe want to help Venezuela, then they can give back some of that bribe money they got from the Venezuelan dictator.
I don't see how there could be a problem. Health care is free and guaranteed by the government.
A hallmark of leftists in the media. The absolute refusal to connect the dots between cause and effect when it comes to socialist disasters. The authee of the article will most likely turn around and advocate for the same policies instituted by Venezuela.
Venezuelans died laughing from the first line!
I agree that socialism is and always has been a colossal failure. But regarding U.S. sanctions, see this article:
Venezuela runs special ad in New York Times, blasting U.S./.
They cannot even keep enough generic ibuprofen in stock
Handle it with a hashtag! #PROGRESSIVEPROBLEMSOLVED
The editors are welcome to give as much of their own money to any charity they choose. They are not welcome to force others to contribute (via taxes or US government spending) to any cause.
or, do nothing and let the situation play out
A leftist rag saying that all of Venezuela should be admitted to the US Emergency room. With or ahead-of all the other illegal patients.
Who will save us when Obamacare kicks in? May he rot in Hell!
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