The pressures from the Government of USA for several countries to cancel the presence of Cuban doctors in their territory they seem to have found a containment dam in the region of Calabria, one of the poorest in Italy.
Alli the regional presidentto Roberto Occhiuto met with Mike Hammer, American diplomat highest ranking in Havana, to whom he communicated the intentionon of his government of not dispense with island staff prominent in its hospitalsaccording to report the local environment Calabria 7.
During the meeting, Occhiuto He told his interlocutor that Cuban doctors are “a necessity” to cover the needsservices offered by Calabrian institutions.
According to the official, he boarded with the American side “the urgent needs of Calabrian healthcare and the complexities that surround the mission of Cuban doctors”.
“I told Hammer “that the Cuban doctors who keep Calabria’s hospitals and emergency rooms open remain a necessity for our region, because my top priority is to guarantee the right to medical care for Calabrian citizens, whose health system is already in serious difficulties.”he stressed.
short term
According to the media that have addressed the issue, during the meeting Hammer learned about the strategy Occhiuto for get over widely the number of 400 Cuban doctors who currently they work in the region.
“I also explained to my interlocutors that I intended, by 2026, to increase the number of Cuban doctors to 1,000 Caribbean doctors.”he said, in order to further strengthen the foreign presencein a regional health system facing difficultiesfrom retirements and the problems for hirer Italian staff.
Variants on the table
Despite the clear position of the Calabrian authorities, they were open to exploring other variants that would allow them to cover the needs, without having to resort to the assistance of Cuban doctors.
“ANDIn recent weeks, thanks also to the fruitful collaboration established with the Department of State of USA and the American Consulate, we decided to explore an alternative avenue to recruit more doctors. We did this by publishing, in mid-January, an expression of interest addressed to all doctors, both from the EU and outside the EU, who wish to work in Calabria,” he explained. EITHERcchiuto.
Jamaica maintains medical cooperation with Cuba, but negotiates a new agreement with Havana
Given the great existing demand, the highest authority in Calabria confirmed that his government is willing to welcome to all doctors foreigners, even Cubans without links con the current program, who wish to work in the region.
These would be provided ““all the logistical and financial support that we have already provided to the Cuban doctors who have resided with us for several years.”he assured.
Little hope
Italian media agree that without the presence of Cuban health personnel many of the emergency rooms and intensive care units in Calabria hospitals would be closed. during the last three years.
The current agreement establishes that the Government of Calabria should pay the Marketing of Medical Services (eitherorganism state mediator) the amount of 3,200 euros per month for each professional, of which 1,200 HE you would deliver to the doctors.
The media specifies that similar calls for the hiring of doctors foreigners in the region They have not given the expected result.
“No Italian or European doctor has applied, having taken note of the unfavorable contractual offers and the lack of acceptable environmental conditions,” underlines the publication.
