CarnalNation

Cuba has announced that it is offering government-funded penile implants free of charge to its citizens across the island. The initiative will be available nation-wide as part of its national healthcare program.

According to urologist Juan Carlos Yip, the procedure “will be carried out in patients whose sexual suffering does not respond positively to traditional treatments." He added that the universal program is a step forward for Cuba’s medical community, as penile implants are “normally exclusive to first-world countries and at a high cost".

AFP reports that men over the age of forty and those with diabetes or circulation problems will be given priority for the initiative.

Earlier this week, ACN reported that Cuban tourism is on the rise with a 4 percent increase year-over-year despite the international economic downturn. As the global medical tourism industry continues to grow (despite sage warnings that international standards for medical practitioners vary greatly), perhaps Cuba’s tourism industry will take note and jump on the bandwagon. However, if they want to capitalize on the large American market, they will first have to do something about their travel restrictions as well as their doctor’s salaries, which The San Francisco Chronicle and other sources report as amounting to a meagre $15 USD per month.