Jamaicaâs public health system has regained some of its Cuban medical workforce, with 200 Cuban healthcare professionals now serving in the country following the Governmentâs decision to re-engage workers under individual contracts.
Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton announced the development at a post-Cabinet press briefing on October 7, explaining that 157 Cuban doctors, nurses and other medical professionals had returned to Jamaica under the revised arrangements. They join 43 Cuban healthcare workers who chose to remain on the island after the previous bilateral programme ended.
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The 157 returning professionals have been assigned across the public health system according to staffing needs. The South East Regional Health Authority received the largest group, with 69 workers, followed by 28 assigned to the Western Regional Health Authority and 26 to the Southern Regional Health Authority.
Another 25 professionals have been assigned to the University Hospital of the West Indies, while nine are serving within the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the North East Regional Health Authority.
The re-engagement follows the Governmentâs decision in March to discontinue the longstanding bilateral healthcare arrangement with Cuba after the two countries failed to agree on the terms of a replacement agreement. The previous arrangement had expired in February 2023, although Cuban professionals continued working in Jamaica while negotiations proceeded.
Under the revised approach, Jamaican authorities offered eligible Cuban healthcare workers the option of returning to Jamaica and accepting individual contracts governed by local labour laws. The Government said the change was intended to maintain essential services while addressing contractual concerns.
The end of the previous arrangement had contributed to staffing gaps at some facilities. At Cornwall Regional Hospital in St James, 27 Cuban healthcare workers, including doctors, nurses and radiotherapists, departed, prompting efforts to recruit locally and seek specialised personnel from overseas.
Tufton thanked the Cuban professionals who chose to return, saying their services remain important to the health system. The Government has also been pursuing recruitment partnerships with other countries, including Ghana and Nigeria, as it works to address shortages of nurses, doctors and other specialists.
The return brings the number of Cuban medical professionals serving in Jamaica to 200, compared with approximately 277 before the revised arrangements. The Government says it will continue seeking to maintain adequate staffing levels across hospitals and health centres while expanding its recruitment options.
