Carib Scope

分类： health

  • Jamaica among several Caricom countries highlighted for progess in health sector — report

    Jamaica among several Caricom countries highlighted for progess in health sector — report

    In its 2025 annual country office performance report released Monday, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has recognized notable health sector advancements across dozens of member states in the Americas, singling out Jamaica and other Caribbean Community (Caricom) nations for standout progress in regional public health. The comprehensive report maps concrete achievements from tailored, country-led public health initiatives forged through technical cooperation between PAHO, national governments, and cross-sector strategic partners, linking local health gains to broader regional stability and social development.

    Beyond Jamaica, the report highlights meaningful headway from Barbados, Bermuda, the Eastern Caribbean bloc, Guyana, Suriname, and Haiti, marking collective momentum across the Caribbean that many global health observers have hailed as promising for the region. Progress has unfolded across a diverse spectrum of priority public health areas, tailored to each nation’s unique unmet health needs.

    Across the continent, four nations — Argentina, Bermuda, Haiti, and Venezuela — have expanded fair, equitable access to life-saving medicines, vaccines, and core health supplies, closing gaps that previously left marginalized communities without critical care. Belize, Bolivia, and Curaçao have moved mental health integration forward, rolling out updated national policies, expanding access to community-centered care, and scaling up support services for people living with mental health conditions. The Bahamas, Brazil, and Guatemala have recorded measurable reductions in maternal mortality while upgrading maternal and neonatal health services, and building public infrastructure that supports healthy aging for older populations.

    Barbados, Eastern Caribbean member states, Cuba, Guyana, the Cayman Islands, and Mexico have ramped up regional efforts to prevent and control noncommunicable diseases — which account for a majority of deaths across the Americas — along with addressing their underlying risk factors. In the fast-growing area of digital health transformation, Trinidad and Tobago, Colombia, and Panama have upgraded system interoperability, expanded access to telehealth services for underserved areas, and boosted digital literacy among frontline health workers to enable more connected, efficient care.

    For Jamaica, a key area of progress highlighted is emergency preparedness and response capacity. The island nation, alongside the Turks and Caicos Islands, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Peru, has strengthened national systems to respond to public health emergencies, epidemics, and pandemics. PAHO specifically noted Jamaica’s rapid, effective response after Hurricane Melissa hit in October 2025, which destroyed five hospitals and damaged more than 100 primary health centers across the country. Despite the widespread damage, Jamaican authorities moved quickly to deploy urgent support and keep essential health services operational for affected communities, demonstrating the value of the strengthened emergency frameworks the country has built.

    One of the most transformative milestones highlighted in the 2025 report is Suriname’s certification as malaria-free, making it the first country in the entire Amazon basin to earn this designation. The achievement marks a historic leap forward for regional malaria elimination efforts, setting a precedent for other Amazon nations working to eradicate the mosquito-borne disease.

    PAHO Director Dr. Jarbas Barbosa emphasized that the progress outlined in the annual reports delivers far more than improved health outcomes for local populations. “The initiatives presented in these reports not only contribute to protecting the health and well-being of populations, but also support stability, security and social development in the Americas,” Dr. Barbosa said. He added that the 2025 reporting year came with unique global and regional challenges that tested health system resilience across the hemisphere, reinforcing the core value of cross-border Pan-American cooperation in addressing shared public health threats.

    The report notes that while national contexts and health gaps vary widely across the region, all participating countries share a common commitment to strengthening health systems through expanded access to essential medical technologies, life-saving treatments, and affordable, quality health supplies — supported in large part by PAHO’s Regional Revolving Funds. In addition to the progress outlined across priority areas, the report also documents collective gains in expanding primary health care access and integrating mental health into national health systems.

    As the world’s oldest active international public health agency, PAHO currently operates 27 country offices across the Americas, two specialized research and care centers, and maintains an official presence in 35 member states and four associate members. Founded in 1902 as the specialized health agency of the Inter-American System (OAS), PAHO has also served as the World Health Organization’s official regional office for the Americas since 1949.

  • PM Browne Says ‘Follow the Leader’ Health Walk a Major Success, Urges Continued Focus on Active Living

    PM Browne Says ‘Follow the Leader’ Health Walk a Major Success, Urges Continued Focus on Active Living

    On a recent Saturday, scores of Antiguans and Barbudans from across the twin-island nation turned out to walk alongside Prime Minister Gaston Browne for the “Follow the Leader” Health Walk, a public initiative designed to push for healthier daily habits and strengthen connections between community members. Unlike isolated fitness events that draw only dedicated exercise enthusiasts, this gathering brought together supporters of all ages and backgrounds, turning a scheduled stroll along a pre-planned route into both a gentle physical activity and a visible display of national unity.

    Opening remarks from Browne celebrated the unexpectedly strong turnout, with the prime minister emphasizing the well-documented link between consistent, routine physical activity and lower rates of preventable, lifestyle-linked chronic illnesses that strain national public health systems. Browne stressed that the benefits of events like the Health Walk extend far beyond the single day of activity, urging attendees to integrate regular movement into their weekly routines rather than only participating in one-off organized wellness gatherings.

    This walk is not an isolated project, Browne noted: it forms one piece of a broader, government-led push to improve population-level health outcomes across Antigua and Barbuda. The prime minister closed by calling on all citizens of the nation to continue “walking together” – both literally, through ongoing physical activity, and collectively, as a community working toward the shared goal of a healthier population. Organizers confirmed that the “Follow the Leader” Health Walk is just the first in a slate of planned programs that will pair public wellness education with opportunities for cross-community engagement across the country in the coming months.

  • Rode Kruis activeert landelijke aanpak tegen Chikungunya

    Rode Kruis activeert landelijke aanpak tegen Chikungunya

    As Suriname grapples with a growing Chikungunya outbreak, the Suriname Red Cross has rolled out a structured, community-focused response program to curb transmission and protect at-risk populations, according to the organization’s director general Glenn Wijngaarde.

    The initiative, which launched in early March and will run through the end of July, prioritizes public education, preventive action, and targeted support for vulnerable groups across the country’s highest-risk districts, including the capital district Paramaribo, Commewijne, and Nickerie. Among the populations receiving heightened attention are pregnant women, children, older adults, and school communities, which face greater potential complications from the viral infection.

    A core pillar of the program is eliminating breeding sites for the Aedes aegypti mosquito—the primary vector that carries the Chikungunya virus. Red Cross volunteers are conducting door-to-door outreach across affected communities to raise awareness about how maintaining a clean living environment and eliminating standing water can cut down on mosquito populations. Complementing these on-the-ground efforts, the organization is also running widespread public awareness campaigns through traditional media and social media platforms to reach broader audiences.

    Chikungunya is transmitted by the same mosquito species that spreads two other major tropical viruses: dengue and Zika. The transmission cycle begins when an uninfected mosquito bites a person already carrying the virus, then carries the pathogen to other healthy individuals through subsequent bites. This is why eliminating mosquito breeding grounds—primarily pools of standing water where the insects lay their eggs—is the most critical step in slowing and stopping outbreak spread.

    To ensure the response is coordinated and efficient, the Suriname Red Cross is working closely with national public health authorities. The organization holds regular coordination meetings with the National Chikungunya Working Group to align activities, share data, and avoid duplication of efforts across response teams. The entire emergency response operation is funded by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the global body that supports national Red Cross societies in delivering humanitarian and public health action.

  • Catherine Hall Health Centre to reopen in two weeks

    Catherine Hall Health Centre to reopen in two weeks

    Following extensive damage from Hurricane Melissa last October, the Catherine Hall Health Centre in St James, Jamaica is on track to welcome patients again in just two weeks, marking a key milestone in the parish’s post-disaster healthcare recovery. This timeline was confirmed by Minister of Health and Wellness Dr. Christopher Tufton, who shared the update during an on-site inspection tour Friday to assess repair progress across multiple local facilities.

    During the visit, Dr. Tufton outlined that teams are currently finalizing furniture installation and wrapping up remaining restoration work to meet the two-week reopening target. Alongside his stop at Catherine Hall, the minister also toured the Green Pond and Glendevon health centres, where ongoing remediation work is steadily progressing. At Green Pond, he confirmed that critical maternal and child health services have already resumed, representing a major step toward returning full normal operations across the parish’s primary care network.

    To date, 19 of St James’ 22 total community health centres are now fully functional, according to Dr. Tufton’s update. Patient foot traffic, which dropped sharply in the immediate aftermath of the hurricane, has rebounded significantly, climbing back to more than 90% of pre-storm levels as access to local care is restored.

    Dr. Tufton used the opportunity to urge local residents to rely on primary healthcare facilities for ongoing care, particularly for managing chronic conditions including diabetes and hypertension. Shifting routine care to community centres, he explained, will ease unnecessary strain on local hospital emergency departments, ensuring emergency services remain available for patients with acute, urgent needs.

    With the first phase of post-hurricane restoration — focused on returning services to functional existing facilities — nearly complete, the ministry will now shift its focus to a second phase of work. This next stage will involve more extensive structural overhauls for the facilities that suffered the most severe damage during the storm.

    On the topic of healthcare staffing, Dr. Tufton addressed the upcoming replacement of a Cuban nurse previously assigned to one of St James’ primary care facilities. He noted that Cuban healthcare workers were never deployed as broadly across St James’ primary care sector as they are in other Jamaican parishes, with only one Cuban nurse serving in the parish’s primary care network. As such, the transition will have minimal impact on service delivery, and care will continue uninterrupted for local residents, he assured the community.

  • LETTER: to the CEO of the Medicinal Cannabis Authority

    LETTER: to the CEO of the Medicinal Cannabis Authority

    A member of the public in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines has put forward a structured policy proposal to enhance the credibility and clinical quality of the nation’s licensed medicinal cannabis distribution outlets, calling for the placement of registered medical doctors on-site at all dispensaries. The suggestion comes after the writer attended two recent public discussions on medicinal cannabis that reshaped their perspective on the emerging industry.

    The first event was a radio interview on Observer FM with Regis Burton, Chief Executive Officer of the country’s Medicinal Cannabis Authority. The second was a televised panel discussion hosted by attorney Elease St. Romain, which featured a Vincentian medical doctor who publicly endorsed the clinical use of cannabis. These appearances marked a noticeable shift in public discourse: long-held social stigma and irrational fear surrounding cannabis use for medical purposes are gradually fading, thanks in large part to expanded public education efforts led by the Medicinal Cannabis Authority.

    Burton’s deep expertise and clear communication about the regulated cannabis industry left a strong positive impression on the writer, who noted that growing numbers of local residents are now open to accepting cannabis as a legitimate treatment option. Unfortunately, the Observer FM radio host did not open the segment to public questions, leaving the writer unable to share their idea during the live broadcast.

    The core of the proposal is a model that mirrors standard primary care clinics: rather than relying on nursing staff with more limited medical training to assess patient needs, each licensed cannabis outlet would employ a licensed physician to lead its dispensary team and serve as the primary point of clinical contact for patients. The writer adds that the plan would also address a pressing local employment issue: Saint Vincent currently has a surplus of newly graduated medical doctors, many of whom cannot secure positions at overcrowded public hospitals. Deploying these qualified young clinicians to medicinal cannabis outlets would solve two problems at once, boosting both the reputability of the regulated cannabis sector and employment opportunities for new medical graduates.

  • Women’s Health: Contraceptive Access Caught in Policy Crossfire

    Women’s Health: Contraceptive Access Caught in Policy Crossfire

    In a development that has ignited fierce national debate across Belize, a new regulatory shift from the country’s Ministry of Health and Wellness has placed reproductive health and women’s access to basic medication at the center of public discourse. Implemented in early April 2026, the policy reclassifies a range of formerly over-the-counter medications, including common contraceptives, as prescription-only drugs. Government officials frame the change as a necessary public safety measure to curb improper medication use, but reproductive health advocates, opposition politicians, and even some senior government figures have pushed back hard against the new rule, warning it threatens to undo 40 years of hard-won progress in expanding reproductive autonomy.

    For the Belize Family Life Association (BFLA), the nation’s leading family planning organization, the new mandate evokes the challenges the group was founded to address back in 1985, when it launched to tackle sky-high rates of adolescent pregnancy. Forty years on, BFLA Executive Director Joan Burke warns the policy could push vulnerable women back into that same crisis, and potentially create even worse outcomes.

    “Easy access to contraception is core to women’s empowerment,” Burke explained in an interview with local outlet News Five. “It gives people, especially young women and girls, the ability to make their own choices and retain full autonomy over their own bodies.”

    Critics point to the unique demographic context of Belize, where more than half the population resides in rural areas with severely limited access to primary care physicians. Earth Lopez, the United Democratic Party’s Shadow Minister for Human Development and Gender Affairs, argues the policy fails to account for these on-the-ground realities, creating vastly different barriers for women across different socioeconomic and geographic groups.

    “All women deserve the right to choose, the freedom to make decisions about our own bodies,” Lopez said. “For a woman in Belize City with a standing annual doctor’s appointment and reliable transportation, this new policy is just an inconvenience. But for a rural woman, an unemployed woman, or a woman trapped in an abusive domestic relationship, this policy will completely block her from accessing contraception – a resource critical to her personal safety.”

    Remarkably, even Prime Minister John Briceño has broken with the Ministry of Health to express public concern over the one-size-fits-all approach, noting that Belize cannot blindly adopt policies designed for developed nations without adjusting to local needs. Briceño shared that his own wife raised immediate red flags about the rule when it was announced, and he has committed to convening talks with health officials to revise the framework.

    “I agree that contraception access needs to stay easy for women to avoid unwanted pregnancies,” Briceño said. “We need to sit down with the Ministry of Health to work through this and find a solution that meets our country’s needs.”

    Burke, however, warns that delaying adjustments to the policy will carry severe, life-altering consequences for women across the country. Beyond the inconvenience of a doctor’s visit, the new requirement adds significant unplanned costs: a doctor’s consultation to get a contraceptive prescription can cost up to $75, on top of the $10 cost of the contraception itself – a prohibitive expense for many low-income women.

    Burke outlined the grim outcomes she projects if the policy stands as written: “I expect to see a rise in adolescent and teenage pregnancy, a rise in maternal deaths, and a rise in deaths from unsafe, unregulated abortions. I’ve had sleepless nights since this announcement because I can see so many women and girls being harmed by this decision. Women in rural communities could lose access entirely.”

    As of April 10, the Ministry of Health has not confirmed whether it will consider exemptions for contraceptives or other chronic care medications that were previously available over the counter. The ministry has announced plans to hold a public press conference to clarify details of the new regulation, but calls for broad consultation and a full reconsideration of the policy continue to grow louder across the country.

  • Is there evidence or not? What Public Health says about the alleged circulation of a new COVID-19 variant in the Dominican Republic

    Is there evidence or not? What Public Health says about the alleged circulation of a new COVID-19 variant in the Dominican Republic

    The Dominican Ministry of Health has issued an official update confirming that as of the latest monitoring cycle, no trace of the BA.3.2 SARS-CoV-2 subvariant, nicknamed “Cicada”, has been detected circulating within the country’s borders.

    Data compiled from the nation’s national sentinel surveillance infrastructure and integrated laboratory network has not returned any positive identifications of the new subvariant to date. Dominican health authorities maintain an active, continuous, and evidence-driven epidemiological monitoring framework designed to catch emerging viral variants at the earliest possible stage, enabling rapid public health response.

    Looking at the broader respiratory virus landscape for 2026, health officials have recorded a sustained circulation pattern of common seasonal respiratory pathogens across the first 12 epidemiological weeks of the year. Influenza strains, specifically influenza A (including H1N1 and H3N2 subtypes) and influenza B, have emerged as the dominant circulating viruses. Pre-emptive vaccination rollout launched late last year has already been deployed to mitigate the impact of influenza B, with the goal of reducing overall disease burden across the Dominican population.

    Beyond influenza, health authorities have also documented ongoing circulation of other common seasonal respiratory viruses, including adenovirus and parainfluenza. Officials note that the current pattern of multiple viruses co-circulating aligns with expected seasonal epidemiological behavior for this time of year, with no unexpected deviations detected so far.

    Eladio Pérez, Deputy Minister of Collective Health, emphasized the critical role of the national surveillance system in protecting public health. “The sentinel surveillance we have implemented across the country enables us to detect respiratory events early and rapidly, including the identification of never-before-seen viral variants,” Pérez explained. “This proactive capability directly strengthens the health system’s ability to respond effectively to emerging threats.”

    According to the ministry, all public health decision-making is rooted in real-time epidemiological data, pulled together from multiple sources including hospital epidemiology services, Provincial Directorates and Health Areas (DPS/DAS), and the national network of laboratories. This integrated data ecosystem ensures that policies and responses are always aligned with the actual on-the-ground situation.

    To help the public protect themselves against circulating seasonal respiratory viruses, the Ministry of Health has reminded the population of core evidence-based preventive measures. These include frequent hand washing, particularly before meals and after using restroom facilities; wearing a face mask when experiencing respiratory symptoms; maintaining physical distance from others while ill; and seeking prompt medical care if any warning signs of severe illness develop.

    The ministry will continue maintaining constant, close monitoring of the national epidemiological situation, working in coordination with global health organizations and aligning with international alert protocols. All ongoing efforts are focused on protecting the health and well-being of the Dominican population against emerging and seasonal respiratory virus threats.

  • $10 Pills Could Now Mean $85 With Doctor’s Fees

    $10 Pills Could Now Mean $85 With Doctor’s Fees

    A new policy mandate from Belize’s Ministry of Health and Wellness requiring a doctor’s prescription for all hormonal contraceptives — including birth control pills, patches, and injections — has ignited fierce debate over reproductive health access across the country, scheduled to take effect ahead of 2026.

    In an official advisory released by the ministry, regulators framed the new requirement as a critical public safety measure. Officials argue that hormonal contraception carries meaningful physiological side effects and health risks, and mandatory medical oversight will ensure patients receive personalized guidance to use these products safely. The policy changes longstanding rules that allowed many hormonal contraceptives to be purchased over the counter without a physician’s approval.

    But the shift has drawn sharp pushback from longstanding reproductive health advocacy groups, who warn the rule will create crippling new barriers to care for the nation’s most vulnerable women and girls. Joan Burke, founding executive director of the Belize Family and Life Association (BFLA), an organization that has worked to reduce unintended adolescent pregnancy since 1985, called the policy a major step backward that could undo 40 years of progress expanding reproductive autonomy in Belize.

    Burke’s primary criticism centers on the new cost burden the rule imposes on patients. Where a month’s supply of birth control pills previously cost as little as $10 purchased over the counter, the added requirement of a paid doctor’s consultation pushes the total cost to $85 or more per cycle. For low-income women, those living in remote rural areas with limited access to affordable healthcare, and women in abusive or controlling relationships where they do not have independent access to funds, this cost increase is not just an inconvenience — it is an insurmountable barrier that will cut off access to contraception entirely.

    “Just imagine having to find $85 for a month, getting that $85 from the person who basically controls you every day,” Burke explained in an interview commenting on the new rule. She warned that cutting off widespread access to reliable contraception will lead to measurable public health harms: rising rates of unintended teen pregnancy, increased maternal mortality, and a spike in deaths linked to unsafe, unregulated clandestine abortions.

    Notably, Burke emphasized that the BFLA does not oppose medical consultations for contraception — in fact, the group actively encourages women to seek medical guidance before starting any new hormonal birth control method. The organization’s objection is to the government’s decision to make a prescription a mandatory legal requirement, rather than leaving access open for patients to choose to consult a provider on their own timeline.

    “But to have it that a prescription is required, I am not in favour of that. We are putting so many women and girls at risk by that decision,” Burke said. She also questioned whether the government conducted sufficient public consultation with reproductive health stakeholders before implementing the policy, calling on officials to revisit the rule. “For a decision such as that to be made, I don’t know what level of consultation was done. Let’s rethink this.”

  • Health Ministry on Prescription Enforcement: ‘No Interviews…Until Monday’

    Health Ministry on Prescription Enforcement: ‘No Interviews…Until Monday’

    A public debate is quickly escalating over a new policy from Belize’s Ministry of Health and Wellness that imposes mandatory prescription requirements for all forms of hormonal contraception, including birth control pills, patches and injections. The rule has already divided public health stakeholders, with the ministry defending the change as a critical patient safety measure while women’s reproductive health advocates warn it will cut off access for vulnerable groups across the country.

    Shortly after posting a brief announcement about the policy on its official Facebook page, the ministry declined to answer further questions from media, confirming only that Director of Health Services will deliver a full public briefing on the measure next Monday. In its initial public statement, the ministry explained that the new requirement is designed to guarantee that hormonal contraceptives are only used after a full review of a patient’s unique health profile. These medications carry known health risks that can vary widely from person to person, the argument goes, so individualized medical assessment is necessary to prevent adverse outcomes.

    Specifically, ministry officials note that clinicians will screen for key risk factors including a history of blood clots or stroke, chronic high blood pressure, regular tobacco use, chronic migraines, and other pre-existing underlying health conditions before writing a prescription. To push back against early criticism that the rule will restrict access, the ministry also emphasized that valid prescriptions can be issued for up to 12 months, and routine contraceptive consultations also provide opportunities for patients to access a wider range of complementary reproductive health services.

    But the policy has already drawn fierce pushback from leading women’s health advocates, who argue the unanticipated change will undo decades of incremental progress expanding reproductive autonomy in Belize. Joan Burke, executive director of the Belize Family and Life Association (BFLA) — an organization founded in 1985 to address soaring adolescent pregnancy rates — told reporters the new mandate puts low-income, rural and marginalized women and girls in particularly dangerous positions.

    Burke’s core criticism centers on the dramatic cost increase the requirement will impose on contraceptive users. Previously, over-the-counter hormonal contraceptives cost roughly $10 on average; once mandatory doctor consultation fees are added, that total jumps to $85 or more per cycle. For women living in rural areas with limited access to affordable healthcare, or for women in abusive or controlling relationships where they do not have independent access to household funds, that cost increase acts as an insurmountable barrier to access, she explained.

    “Just imagine having to find $85 for a month, getting that $85 from the person who basically controls you every day,” Burke said. She warned that cutting off access to reliable contraception will lead to a wave of negative public health outcomes, including increased rates of unintended teen pregnancy, higher rates of preventable maternal health complications, and a rise in the number of people seeking unsafe, unregulated abortions.

    Notably, Burke clarified that BFLA does not oppose voluntary medical consultations for contraceptive users — the organization only objects to making prescriptions a legal mandate. “We are not opposed to consultation. But to have it that a prescription is required, I am not in favour of that,” she said. “We are putting so many women and girls at risk by that decision.” Burke also questioned whether the ministry conducted sufficient stakeholder consultation before rolling out the new rule, and called on policymakers to reverse course and re-evaluate the policy.

    As the debate continues to grow, the public will have to wait until Monday for further official details from the Ministry of Health and Wellness on the implementation and timeline of the new prescription requirement.

  • Show us the specialists

    Show us the specialists

    MONTEGO BAY, St James — In a Thursday press briefing held at Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH), Jamaica’s Minister of Health and Wellness Dr. Christopher Tufton has issued a direct challenge to the Jamaica Medical Doctors’ Association (JMDA), calling on the organization to share specific information it claims to hold about qualified local medical professionals ready to fill positions left vacant by the recent departure of over 200 Cuban medical personnel.

    Tufton clarified that the departing Cuban workers had been brought in to fill longstanding gaps that Jamaica’s domestic medical workforce had been unable to cover for years. “There has been a call recently by the JMDA suggesting that we hire locals to fill the gap, now that the Cubans have returned to their country,” the minister noted. “I just want to make it clear that the Cubans were here to fill positions that we had difficulties finding locals for. To the extent that those locals are available, and the JMDA has information on that, then send that information in to us. We’ll be more than happy to hire them once they’re qualified.”

    Addressing the complexity of the ongoing staffing crisis, Tufton explained that most of the vacant roles are specialized positions that have consistently struggled to attract qualified local candidates. “The positions of these nurses and doctors, in most cases, are that they were the specialist nurses. Their role was to fill gaps that we have that we could not fill with locals, because locals were not available, and the challenge continues to be how to fill those slots,” he said.

    To address the shortage, the Jamaican health ministry has launched two major recruitment drives: one targeting Jamaican medical professionals working abroad, and another sourcing qualified specialists from other countries. Tufton confirmed that around 70 interviews with diaspora-based applicants are already underway in Kingston, following targeted advertising for open roles to the global Jamaican medical community.

    Discussions to bring in foreign specialists are also at an advanced stage, with new employment agreements set to be signed in the coming months with medical professionals from Nigeria and Ghana. The ministry has also opened talks with Apollo, a major hospital and health system based in India, to source additional talent. “The recruitment — to the extent that we don’t have the talent here — of those talents is continuing. We do anticipate over the next few months to be able to fill out those positions,” Tufton predicted.

    CRH, one of the island’s major public health facilities, has been hit particularly hard by the Cuban medical exit. Of the 27 Cuban medical workers who left the hospital, 22 were specialized nurses, with the remaining posts held by doctors and radiotherapists supporting the facility’s oncology cancer treatment unit. While CRH has already expanded its local workforce by adding 25 registered nurses, 18 patient care assistants, six additional doctors, one junior resident, five senior house officers, two dental interns, and one medical technologist, these new hires have not replaced the specialized expertise lost when the Cuban team departed.

    Four critical radiotherapy posts in the oncology department remain unfilled, and hospital administrators have been forced to adjust work scheduling to maintain core services, doubling up existing staff on shifts to keep care running. “I just toured the facility, and the leaders there have said that they have doubled up the staff that they have to continue the regular scheduling, but it’s very difficult. Work continues, but we do have a gap in terms of four radiotherapists,” Tufton confirmed. The ministry is currently making emergency arrangements to bring in temporary and permanent replacements for these critical roles.

    The departure of the Cuban medical team came after the Jamaican and Cuban governments failed to reach a new agreement last month to extend the decades-long staffing arrangement. The Jamaican government has stated that Havana would not agree to revised contract terms aligned with Jamaican national law and international labor conventions. However, critics, including the Cuban government, have argued that the decision stems from Jamaica bending to diplomatic pressure from the United States. The end of the arrangement brings a close to over 50 years of partnership that gave millions of Jamaicans access to low-cost, high-quality medical care across the island.