As the U.S continues to pressure Caribbean governments as it pertains to Cuban medical personnel, the St Vincent government announced on Monday a plan to reduce the country’s reliance on Cuban medical personnel as part of a strategy for “Medical Staffing Localisation.”
Prime Minister Godwin Friday said the government will begin a three-year phase-out of the reliance on Cuban District Medical Officers.
Friday cited two primary reasons for this policy shift including the language barriers which he says is often faced by patients and staff and to reduce foreign staffing costs associated with maintaining international medical teams.
In a February 6 post from the U.S Embassy the following was stated;
“The United States is committed to holding accountable Cuban regime officials, foreign government officials, and others for facilitating forced labor in Cuba’s medical missions. By participating in these programs, despite known human rights abuses, foreign governments become complicit in the regime’s tactics”.
The Embassy further stated that their actions directly contribute to the abuses of Cuban workers. “There are alternative methods available for Caribbean nations to recruit foreign medical workers and ethically meet the healthcare needs of their people”.
Well the Opposition leader Ralph Gonsalves questioned whether these changes are part of U.S pressure, the Prime Minister did not indicate such at the time of his announcement on Monday.
To fill the gap, the government plans to recruit four local Medical Officers in 2026.
This initiative he said is part of a wider health strategy focused on moving from “dependence to capability” and ensuring the health system is staffed by local professionals where possible.