Specialised Cuban Nurses to Refill Previous Posts

Reporter: Natasha Williams

 

While many are still awaiting surgeries and still rescheduling appointments for services offered under the recently terminated Cuban healthcare program, the wait might be made a little shorter.

 

This as Health Minister Dr Christopher Tuftton in an interview with our news team on Tuesday, says returning Cuban health care professionals will possibly resume or reassume their posts they previously held within the local health care system.

 

Following the ending of a Cuban Health Care Program in Jamaica in March, recently up to 50 nurses reapplied to re-enter the country under direct government contracts. Our health minister, Dr Christopher Tufton, signalled this as a good move for the public health care system.

 

Tufton told CVM reporter Natasha Williams, “We have always said that this is not a goodbye. It's a new arrangement that we're putting on the table, and the response so far has been good… Initially, 42 had stayed but another nearly 50 have since applied. So it would bring the number up closer to 100.”

 

He stressed that the return of the Cuban nurses is part of a bigger drive to undertake a multinational approach within the health care system.

 

Dr Tufton said some of the nurses have already arrived in the island and the only difference with the new arrangement is that they'll be paid directly by the government. Under the previous 50-yearong agreement, the Cuban Eye Care Program was hailed as one of the most beneficial initiatives. Dr Tufton says he's hoping to see some of the Cuban returnees occupying posts previously held.

 

 

“They'll be deployed quickly because we know their efforts and their value and it's just a matter of trying to… some may go back to where they were, others may be reassigned. All our specialists, and we had some of the I care people staying so the program is still there but many left so we… don't know the specifics of those coming but I do hope that some of them would be in that program.”

 

That would come as a great news for 87year-old Lurline Grant, who told our news team that she has made several appointments with the previous Cuban nurses at the St Joseph's Hospital to have an eye care surgery done since 2024.

 

She said, “…And each time I come, they send me somewhere to do some test. I went to the Heart Foundation. I did some test. I bring back the results, and they told me they would call me. When I came the Wednesday, they told me they will call me. Only to find out on the Friday I was listening news and they all went back to Cuba. So, now the high is getting worse and that's why I came this morning to find out if what time they coming back.”

 

Mrs Grant who said she suffers from cataract in both eyes revealed that she travelled from St Catherine to the St Joseph's Hospital in the corporate area anticipating some good news about another possible surgery date. Her wishes were not granted, but she said the news of the returning Cuba nurses should suffice.

 

“All Jamaica feel good because they are so reliable and I don't hear nobody complain who had the surgery done. That is why I'm interested to get mine done by the Cuban doctors. With all my heart, I'm anticipating the Cuban nurse cup doctors come back to Jamaica.”