The Government of Guyana did not terminate the Cuban Medical Brigade operating in the country, but rather the Cuban authorities made the decision to withdraw their medical workers earlier this year.
This is according to Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony, who during an interview with News Source Guyana on Monday said the withdrawal occurred in February following engagements between the two governments.
“We have been engaging the Cuban authorities and they choose to terminate or withdraw the Cuban doctors who were here. So that’s the first thing I want to make clear,” Dr Anthony said.
The minister explained that despite the withdrawal of the Cuban Medical Brigade, the government is still open to employing Cuban medical professionals individually, granting that they meet Guyana’s regulatory requirements.
“Cuban doctors, nurses and technicians, if they want to come to Guyana, they can come to Guyana and once they are properly qualified and certified by our medical authorities here, medical council, nursing council, and so forth, once they meet those requirements, then we will be able to offer them a job,” he noted.
He added that several Cuban medical workers have already taken up this option and are now swerving within the country’s public heath system.
“And quite a number of persons have come, and so, we have offered them that job. So, they are working in the public system. So, we don’t have a problem once they are qualified,” he said.
The health minister noted that while he did not have the exact number of Cuban medical professionals who remained in Guyana to work, some members of the previous brigade opted to stay and continue their medical careers locally.
“I don’t have the number but quite a number of persons, and some persons who were on the brigade also decided to stay back so they are working with the Government of Guyana,” the health minister said.
The withdrawal comes at a time where Guyana continues to expand its healthcare system and increase local training for medical professionals.
“As you know, we have been expanding our healthcare system and we have also started to expand training so a lot of people who were on the brigade were nurses, and through our training programme, we are compensating for those that would have been withdrawn,” the minister explained.
He revealed that the government’s expanded nursing training initiative is expected to significantly boot the local workforce.
“And this year, for example, because three years ago we started a registered nursing programme, and by June of this year we will be graduating close to 800 persons, and they will come into service soon, once they have graduated successfully,” Anthony said.
The Cuban medical brigade programme has faced criticism, with some reports alleging that Cuban medical workers endure difficult conditions while participating in overseas assignments.
The United States (US) has been pushing countries in the Caribbean to end their partnerships with the Cuban regime regarding overseas medical missions, citing issues of human rights abuses and forced labour practices. Last year, the US expanded an existing Cuba-related visa restriction policy that targets forced labour linked to the Cuban labour export programme. That decision saw visa restrictions placed on state officials believed to be involved in the export of Cuban workers, a move that has been strongly criticised by some Caribbean leaders.
In Guyana, Cuban medical professionals work in several public and private hospitals across the country. The Guyana Government has maintained that all foreign workers here, including Cubans, are being employed and paid under local and international labour laws. Moreover, the Administration had committed to maintaining diplomatic engagement with the US on this issue while ensuring that Cuban health professionals, who have been an integral part of Guyana’s healthcare system, are able to continue their crucial work in the country.
Anthony’s clarification on the issue comes just days after a small group of concerned citizens wrote to President Irfaan Ali calling for the immediate reversal of the decision to terminate the services provided by the Cuban Medical Brigade and to have them return to Guyana.
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