Several Cuban doctors have abandoned public hospitals in Calabria unleashing an intense debate on working conditions under the Italian-Cuba agreement.
Dublin, Ireland.- At least five doctors have abandoned the Cuban medical mission in Calabria in recent weeks, which has intensified the debate Around the agreement signed between Italy and Cuba, the contractual conditions of professionals sent by Havana and the use of regional public funds.
The news has gained relevance for a local network investigation LACwho has followed the steps of Cubanet After the uncover with the publication “From Havana to Calabria: the perfect scam to Cuban doctors“That proves forced labor practices.
On July 21, Italian Media Il vibonese and the local television LAC News24 reported the case of a Cuban specialist left by the Jazzolino public hospital to join the Villa Dei Gerani private clinic in the province of Vibo Valentia.
Two days later, the local press Account three more leaks, for a total of five in recent weeks. Two of the doctors went to work in a totally independent way in the private health system, while three Cuban professionals who serve in the Cosenza area, one in the hospitals of Corigliano Rossano and the other two in Paola and Cetraro have not returned to their positions. “There have been no news of them, and nobody has seen them assume their functions for weeks,” confirms the Calabrés half.
The leaks have generated strong controversy since, according to press reports, they add up to “other professionals who opted for the private sector, emigrated to Spain or disappeared after taking vacations.”
Regional Minister Ernesto Alecci (Democratic Party) presented A formal interpellation to the President of the Calabria Region Roberto Ochiuto where he questions the sustainability of the agreement with the Cuban Medical Services Marketing, indicating the growing dropout, the low real remuneration and the urgent need of a structural reform that integrates foreign doctors in equity conditions with their Italian colleagues. Ochiuto, one of the signatories of the Italy-Cuba agreement for the hiring of Cuban doctors in the region, is being investigated for corruption in a process that extends to various edges of its management and includes the health sector in Calabria.
“My question aims to verify how many Cuban doctors are still working today in Calabria, how many have gone, what controls exist to follow the progress of the project and if you have planned to review the contractual conditions, which foresee a gross salary of approximately 4,700 euros, of which only 1,200 euros are those that the doctor really receives,” declared.
This is the third politician who interrogates the agreement and the second formal motion, after the parliamentary request of the deputy Anna Laura Orrico At the beginning of July.
According to the investigation of Cubanet, lCuban doctors sent to Calabria are subject to a double contractual framework: one signed with the local health authority (ASP) and another with the Cuban state company CSMC, which in practice prevails and contains clauses that limit fundamental rights such as labor autonomy, freedom of association and confidentiality. In addition, only 22 % of the gross base salary established by the agreement really reaches doctors, while up to 71 % of overtime is retained by the CSMC, in a scheme that, according to internal documents analyzed, reinforces the complaints of labor exploitation and state control even in European territory.
The former president of the Regional Council, Domenico Tallini, has reiterated His demand for transparency to President Roberto Occhiuto, mentioning promptly findings of Cubanet And he questioned the conditions that could lead to dropout: “Maybe the two Cuban doctors who worked in Vibo Valentia decided to leave because they no longer supported paying 2500 euros a month to Havana, staying alone with 1200?” He said.
He also questioned the violation treatment of the data protection policy by the Italo-Cuban Association “Sierra Maestra”, related to the Cuban regime, which published detailed figures on the medical activity carried out by the doctors sent to Calabria.
In his statement, he reported that doctors participated in more than 104,000 consultations, 7,100 surgical interventions, 771 births, and thousands of diagnostic studies.
Tallini denounced that these figures, which are part of the internal databases of the Regional Health Department, were disseminated without institutional authorization, which represents a possible violation of confidentiality and raises doubts about the privileged access of this foreign organization to sensitive health information.
The use of the term “participated” in the “Sierra Maestra” report has also been criticized by Tallini, who points out that this ambiguity does not allow to establish whether Cuban doctors directly carried out medical procedures or if they only attended Italian colleagues. This difference, according to him, is essential to determine if the project represents a true solution to the deficit of health personnel or if it is simply a expensive way of auxiliary collaboration.
Tallini requires that the Regional Labor Inspectorate verify whether Cuban doctors receive contractual conditions compatible with Italian labor legislation, since the data presented by this means indicate a clear inequality with respect to their local colleagues.
The leader reiterated his proposal to put an end to the agreement with Cuba and redirect the more than 150 million euros budgeted until 2027 towards the hiring of young people of Calabresses, many of whom are forced to emigrate to the lack of job opportunities in their region.
Despite his criticisms of the agreement, Domenico Tallini emphasizes that his intention is not to discredit Cuban doctors, whose professional value and utility in the Calabrés system fully recognize. It is, he insists that the Calabria region must guarantee full respect for its labor and human rights, and that no form of international cooperation should tolerate conditions of subordination, salary retention or limitation of freedoms.
For Tallini, the problem is also ethical and legal. “The Sierra Maestra Association, instead of listing figures, should worry about the dignity of their fellow citizens. Do they have the same protection and remuneration as Italian doctors? Do the same shifts work and receive a fair salary?” He questioned.
