NASSAU, Bahamas, CMC – The Bahamas authorities says it’s pausing the recruitment of nurses from Cuba and also will cancel its current contracts with a Cuban recruitment company.
Well being and Wellness Minister Dr. Michael Darville, who visited Havana two weeks in the past to evaluation the present recruitment program, informed Parliament that the federal government would enter into direct employment contracts with Cuban healthcare staff at present in The Bahamas.
“Following discussions with the US authorities by way of the Ministry of International Affairs, my ministry negotiated new contractual phrases with the Cuban recruitment businesses,” Darville informed legislators through the 2025/2026 funds debate.
“After fruitful negotiations, we’re ready to cancel all current contractual agreements and enter right into a direct contractual settlement with Cuban healthcare professionals at present in The Bahamas.
“Those that agree to those phrases will signal the brand new employment settlement by my ministry and stay in [the] nation for deployment throughout the Household Islands,” he added.
Final week, the Guyana authorities mentioned it could be implementing new circumstances underneath which Cuban well being professionals might be employed right here because it plans to embark on the “aggressive” recruitment of overseas nurses to work at a number of new hospitals which might be being constructed throughout the nation.
“We’re recruiting folks from all over the world, not confined to Cuba, however we’re working to make sure that individuals who come right here from Cuba meet the definition due to what the US Secretary of State talked about that the circumstances of labor right here don’t run afoul of the necessities set by the USA of America,” Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo informed his weekly information convention.
Caribbean Group (CARICOM) nations have defended the Cuban well being brigade program after Washington introduced the enlargement of an current Cuba-related visa restriction coverage that targets “pressured labor” linked to the Cuban labor export program.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio mentioned this expanded coverage applies to present or former Cuban authorities officers and different people, together with overseas authorities officers, who’re believed to be liable for or concerned within the Cuban labor export program, notably Cuba’s abroad medical missions.
Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants who left Cuba in pursuit of the American dream, mentioned that the brand new coverage additionally applies to the instant household of these folks supporting the Cuban program.
“The division has already taken steps to impose visa restrictions on a number of people, together with Venezuelans, underneath this expanded coverage,” he added.
Darville informed legislators that those that don’t settle for the brand new employment phrases might be allowed to wrap up their affairs and return to Cuba.
“All additional recruitment workout routines of Cuban academics and healthcare staff are at present on maintain pending the end result of the continued discussions between the Ministry of International Affairs and our related counterparts in the USA,” he added.
The federal government right here has insisted that it isn’t engaged in pressured labor. In Could, Prime Minister Philip Courageous Davis informed reporters that the federal government was renegotiating its labor agreements with Cuba and would pay all overseas staff engaged with the federal government immediately.
In Parliament, Darville reiterated the necessity for Cuban healthcare staff as a consequence of shortages within the public sector, which he attributed to poor planning on the a part of successive administrations and different nations luring Bahamian staff away with incentives.
The Ministry of Well being and Wellness said that it’ll proceed to recruit specialist nurses and different healthcare staff from Africa, the Philippines, and India to handle the nation’s short-term shortages whereas additionally persevering with to coach Bahamian healthcare staff.
The minister said that three ophthalmologists, three nurses, 10 biomedical engineers, eight lab technicians, and 11 X-ray technicians from Cuba are at present working within the public well being sector.
“The vast majority of these staff are scheduled to be deployed to the Household Islands as a part of my ministry’s plan to supply lab and diagnostic providers island-to-island,” Darville mentioned, including that “important funding has already been made in cross-training these Cuban allied healthcare professionals and the set up of lab digital diagnostic gear is at present on the way in which, supported by some Cuban biomedical engineers working side-by-side with suppliers from the USA.”
Darville mentioned Cuban staff obtain the identical advantages as Bahamian staff and are “handled nicely.”
