- Currently there are between 34,000 and 50,000 Cuban doctors who work in more than 60 countries around the world.
- An investigation by the Human Rights Foundation denounces that behind the supposed altruism of this program a modern form of exploitation is hidden.
- It is estimated that the island regime collects between 6 and 8 billion dollars annually thanks to these missions.
The Cuban medical missions that travel the world remain one of the most controversial issues today. People’s opinions about this model vary, and while some support it, others oppose it. That is why the important thing is to know in depth what it consists of and if it is an altruistic idea or one that harms health professionals.
The issue resurfaced in our country due to the federal government’s decision to hire several Caribbean doctors. The first contingent arrived at the beginning of the pandemic to care for patients with Covid-19. The decision caused discomfort among national health personnel by denouncing that many are not trained or helped in the health emergency.
While this 2022 another agreement was signed with which the arrival of another 600 Cuban doctors was made official. In this case they are all specialists and belong to 15 areas of high demand such as Internal Medicine, Paediatrics, General Surgery, Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emergencies and Intensive Care.
The first doctors have already arrived in Mexico and were assigned to the areas of highest marginalization in Colima and Nayarit. The rest are expected to be sent to other states where doctors are lacking or where no one wants to go.
The truth of Cuban doctors abroad
These missions of island personnel traveling the world to offer their services is not new. Every year there are thousands who do it and have come to the most remote countries on the planet. Although behind everything hides a dark story.
To delve into the subject, the civil organization Human Rights Foundation prepared the article Report: Human Trafficking in Cuba’s Medical Missions. This is the most complete international work that has been carried out and directly accuses that this initiative hides the crime of human trafficking financed by the government headed by Miguel Diaz-Canel.
According to research, Currently there are between 34,000 and 50,000 health professionals on the island who work in more than 60 countries around the world. The drawback is that all those who participate in these missions do so against their will to help their relatives who are prohibited from leaving Cuba.
“The Cuban totalitarian regime has used its disproportionate power over medical professionals and their employment conditions to exploit and abuse health workers through countless coercive mechanisms, ranging from the threat of family separation and forced exile to movement restrictions and wage theft.”
It also indicates that Cuban doctors who refuse to participate in this program suffer persecution and threats from the authorities. Therefore, it is not optional but mandatory to join the initiative and they are prohibited from speaking negatively about the authorities of their country.
A millionaire business for the Cuban government
On the other hand, although the nations that contract this service do pay for the support, in reality most of the money goes directly to the Caribbean government. In fact, it is estimated that each doctor only receives between 9 and 25% of his salary.
From the above, it is estimated that the Castro regime collects between six and eight billion dollars a year thanks to these missions. It is a million-dollar business, although the worst affected are the Cuban doctors because they suffer from a modern form of exploitation.
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