Healthcare or Medical Care is the maintenance or improvement of health via the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people.
Healthcare in a Libertarian Socialist Society
Libertarian socialists have experimented with various forms of healthcare in their communities.
Zapatistas
The Zapatistas maintain a high-quality universal healthcare service which has been praised by the World Health Organization for reducing infant mortality and providing strong primary care to residents.[1] Residents of the Zapatista communities believe their health services are better staffed, equipped and less racist towards indigenous people than most services in Chiapas. It also works with surrounding hospitals and freely takes in patients from other communities who need to use the medical facilities that only the Zapatistas have.[2] Since 1994, the Zapatistas have built 2 new hospitals and 18 health clinics in the region to increase the well-being of communities.[3] According to one account of Oventic from 2016:
In Oventic, there was a small yet seemingly fully-functional medical clinic, which appeared to offer basic healthcare. A sign on the door said general consultations, gynecology, optometry and laboratory services were all available five days a week. Emergency services were available 24 hours, seven days a week. They appeared to have a shiny new ambulance at their disposal. Other services offered a few days a week included dentistry and ultrasounds.[4]
Notable Libertarian Socialist Doctors
References
- ↑ J.H. Cuevas (2007) Health and Autonomy: The Case of Chiapas
- ↑ Resistencia Autónoma: Cuaderno de texto de primer grado del curso de “La Libertad según l@s Zapatistas
- ↑ Raúl Zibechi (2012) Territories in Resistance: A Cartography of Latin American Social Movements
- ↑
Two decades on: A glimpse inside the Zapatista's capital, Oventic