Medical devices in Cuba: a possible lesson for other developing countries

In February of 1996 I visited Cuba with a group of physicians who made regular visits to their colleagues in Cuba to provide assistance, training, and encouragement. Their reason for inviting me was that the equipment in the hospitals was reaching a parlous state, and they wanted to know how best to respond. A brief outline of my visit is presented after which I suggested a simple proposal: first identify a suitable niche; ay light bulbs for microscopes, or pH electrodes; then 1. offer investment capital, 2. provide essential raw materials, 3. offer management expertise, 4. export finished goods to other third world countries when appropriate. It is clear that the failure of this simple plan to captivate the minds of my many contacts in Cuba and among the physicians in Canada indicates that we are talking the wrong language. This is not an appropriate solution. The reasons for this failure are discussed