I'm an educator, a certified massage therapist, and I'll soon be entering a graduate program for Oriental Medicine. With this background, I have an interest in the Cuban medical system. I understand it has been very progressive in integrating alternative therapies, and I want to do a study or professional exchange. Does anyone have any info specifically related to this??

leave your e-mail address.

Santeria is pretty popular.

Try Raul in Havana <raul@ip.etecsa.cu> Raul has legal rooms for rent and is well versed on their medical system. Gordon Robinson <abuc12@yahoo.ca>

Gordon, that Raul is certainly a Jack-of-all-trades!!!
I'm sure he's a wonderful guy and you told him you would help him with his little business and all that but this is neither the forum nor the audience for it.
Please don't start posting his e-mail address on EVERY thread, or you might start getting a lot of e-mail yourself.

Hello, I'm a student of Naturopathic Medicine and when I was in Cuba I spoke with a few doctors, and naturopathic and Chinese medicine is now more widely used in Cuba. However, from what I gathered Naturopathic and allopathic medicine is not seperated as it is in Canada and America, they study both of them at the same time if the doctor wants to practice naturopathic medicine. I visited a Health Resort in the Trinidad area. The health resort concentrates on alternative treatments for the patients and guests. Its a lovely health resort and the doctors are very nice. They have a great botantical room, with many wonderful variety of healing herbs. They also do practice Chinese medicine and acupuncture. The location of the health resort is at 'Topes De Collantes'. 20 km Northwest of Trinidad, b/w Cienfuegos and Trinidad. The buildiing is on top of the mountains, For more information about the resort and better directions look at the newest edition of the Lonely Planet, page 377. This is the only place I visited that offers a full range of natural treatments and therapies, and great naturopathic doctors. Also the setting is amazing because you are surronding by the forests and in the mountains, very peaceful. They also have massage therapists working at the resort. I'm sure there are a lot of contacts for alternative medicine doctors and facilities in Havana, however I don't know of any, but if I come across any information I will post it for you. Good Luck with your search, I hope this has helped.
PS...If you want the phone number for the alternative therapy health resort in Trinidad I can search around my house for the pamphlet, its somewhere.

To anonymous w/the info on the resort in Topes, if you can give me a number or address, I'd very much appreciate it. Also, if anyone else has info that pertains, and you want to email it, my address is davidegeler@lycos.com. (Please be kind and don't flood my mailbox!)

~Thank you.

Hello David, I found the pamphlet for the health resort. There is no fixed address because its in the mountains. The mountain area is called Topes De Collantes, its a few km from Trinidad, you need to take a car up there, for hire or rental, or if you are really energized you can bike up there. There are probably tour buses that go up there also. The resort is called Escambray. Contact info on the back of the pamphlet: COMPLEJO TURISTICO TOPES COLLANTES, Escambray, Cuba, Tels: (53 42) 4-0117, 4-0330 y 4-0228, Tlxs: 47261 y 47317 Fax: (53 42) 4-0288. Agenica De Viajes, Gaviotatours, En Todo El Pais. No email address. The pamplet says the resort offers these therapies: Hydrotherapy, Electrotherapy, Mecanotherapy, Therapeutic exercises, Ozone, Traditional Medicine, Therapeutic swimming pool, massage, steam baths, they also have Revitalization Programs and Rehabilitation programs. I know they also offer acupuncture, herbal medicine and some of the doctors treat with homeopathy. I hope this all helps. If you come across more information about alternative medicine in other areas of Cuba such as doctors, clinics, hospitals, could you please post it, I would like this information. Thanks.