Cuban docs to stay 

More than 40 Cuban doctors have opted to remain in Jamaica following the end of the decades-old contract between their government and Jamaica.

Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton made the disclosure in response to queries from The Gleaner during a press briefing hosted by the University Hospital of the West Indies Institutional Review Committee at the IDB Building in New Kingston yesterday.

Jamaica formally ended its five-decade medical cooperation agreement with Cuba in early March, with the Jamaican Government citing failed negotiations regarding the terms of a new arrangement to replace the one that had expired.

While acknowledging that there is a void in the health system, Tufton said of the 278 doctors impacted by the end of the agreement, 42 have decided to continue working in Jamaica and have been offered individual contracts.

"Beyond that, all were offered a letter to say that they were interested and would be willing to re-engage based on, you know, their own interest but on the basis of individual contracts. And some have expressed an interest in so doing. So, yes, there is an open invitation, which we have said, for the record, and we have received some information that some are interested, and if they come, we would be prepared to engage them."

The health minister also revealed that some of the doctors have decided to relocate to Jamaica.

"Yes, some of them that are here on work permits, having been here for a period of time, have expressed their interest to have permanent status, which is allowable under the law once you live here for a particular period of time. And there are some that have been here five years, or even more in some cases, so we would certainly treat with that based on those that have applied and have expressed interest."

In the meantime, Tufton acknowledged some of the challenges the healthcare system has faced since the country ended its partnership with Cuba.

“We experienced a slowdown in some of the programmes because of the departure of most of the Cubans. So the Cuban Eye Care programme at St Joseph's [Hospital] had to be slowed down. Of the 18 that were manning St Joseph’s, six of them actually stayed back. And there are others that indicate that they want to. So while we're still doing some screening, what we have had to do is to combine the

operations of St Joseph's with KPH because we have some of the Cubans that work both locations. So it is true that the wait time is a little longer now than what was the case before, and we're going to try and ramp that up. There are some shortages in terms of radiology, so cancer treatment, because we had Cubans, both at St Josephs and in Montego Bay, and we're actively trying to recruit. In the meantime, as I've said, we're doing extended hours for those who are on staff. So people are working more sessions, and so on, which is not sustainable because double shifts, and so on, can be a problem. So we have to address the issue. But I think the progress we (are) making in the other areas, with India, and so on, will address the problem over time.

Tufton pointed to India as one of the countries Jamaica is looking to, to tap into for healthcare support.

"Yesterday (Monday), the foreign minister for India (Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar) was here [on a] state visit. We signed an MOU (memorandum of understanding) with India officially with the minister of foreign affairs Senator Kamina Johnson Smith) and the foreign minister to, among other things, collaborate on HR (human resources). So it's a function. It's going to include the possibility of rotation of clinical personnel coming here, those that are short. It also involves exchanges and training. So I do hold out a lot of hope for that."

Tufton will join health ministers worldwide at the 79th World Health (WHO) Assembly from May 18 to 23 at the WHO Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and he also disclosed that he could use that trip to shore up an MOU with the African nation of Ghana.

“And there's some conversation taking place with Nigeria. So the extent of this is that we're looking broader. We have to solve the problem of healthcare worker shortage, and there are some areas where we are critically short, and that is going to require recruitment of labour externally. And the Cabinet had given us to go ahead for this, including the setting up of a recruitment unit within the Ministry of Health and Wellness,” Tufton said. karen.madden@gleanerjm.com