Dear Editor,
The recent report in the Jamaica Gleaner that Jamaica is ending its medical cooperation programme with Cuba should concern every Jamaican and Caribbean citizen who depends on an already strained health system.
For decades, Cuban doctors, nurses, and medical professionals have quietly supported healthcare across the Caribbean. They have served in rural clinics, hospitals, and communities where local shortages made it difficult to meet basic medical needs. Their presence has never been merely symbolic; it has been practical, lifesaving, and deeply integrated into the region’s healthcare infrastructure.
Now, with the programme reportedly ending, Jamaica faces delays, uncertainty, and the challenge of filling a gap that cannot easily or quickly be replaced.
This situation does not exist in isolation. It comes amid renewed pressure by the United States to restrict Cuba’s overseas medical programmes. Washington has long argued that these missions are problematic, yet for many Caribbean nations they have been an essential lifeline. If U.S. policy contributes to the dismantling of these partnerships, then the United States must also acknowledge the consequences.
It is not enough to pressure small island states to abandon longstanding medical arrangements without offering a realistic alternative. Jamaica and other Caribbean countries already struggle with physician shortages, migration of healthcare workers, and limited health budgets. Removing Cuban support without replacing it risks deepening the region’s healthcare crisis.
If the United States wants Caribbean governments to scale back or end medical cooperation with Cuba, then it should step forward with concrete assistance—support for training, recruitment, funding, and medical personnel—to help fill the void created by these policies.
Otherwise, Caribbean nations will be left to shoulder the burden alone. The health of our people should not become collateral damage in geopolitical disputes.
Sincerely,
Renaldo C. McKenzie
Author of Neoliberalism, Globalization, Income Inequality, Poverty and Resistance
Author of the forthcoming book Neoliberal Globalization Reconsidered: Unfair Competition and the Death of Nations
Reference:
Email us at [email protected]
Additional Sources:
https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20260310/cuban-exit-backup-plan
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