The Tribune

By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

Negotiations between The Bahamas and the United States over Cuban healthcare workers are in their final phase, Health Minister Dr Michael Darville said, as the government moves to secure more medical staff for the public system.

Dr Darville spoke to reporters during a visit to Abaco, where he was asked about talks involving Cuban medical personnel working in The Bahamas.

“The final stages of these contractual agreements will come to an end very shortly,” Dr Darville said.

He said the discussions involve officials from both governments and that the timeline is not entirely within his control.

“You must understand that we are in negotiations with the United States government, and I am not in complete control of the timeframe for the negotiations, but everything is in place,” Dr Darville said.

According to the minister, contracts have already been drafted and are awaiting final agreement.

Once the negotiations conclude, the government will shift to direct contractual arrangements with Cuban healthcare workers already in the country.

“It will be our responsibility to take care of them, as indicated by the United States government,” he said.

The talks come amid scrutiny from Washington over Cuba’s overseas medical missions, which the United States has criticised as labour exploitation.

Dr Darville said the United States has also pointed The Bahamas to a recruitment agency that could help source Cuban and other foreign healthcare workers.

“A very interesting thing came out of this whole ordeal. The United States government has directed us to a recruitment agency, I believe they are based in Montreal, where we can reach out to Cuban and other foreign workers to help us to build our workforce,” Dr Darville said.

He said the ministry has begun communicating with the agency and is receiving responses as it seeks to recruit additional medical specialists.

“We are beginning to get some positive response. Hopefully we will be able to recruit from them and recruit some specialists and sub specialists, which is badly needed at Princess Margaret Hospital,” he said.