In wake of the US Government threatening sanctions against countries that make use of the Cuban labour export programme, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo revealed today that the Government is now rethinking its plan to hire healthcare workers from Cuba.

At a press conference this afternoon, Mr. Jagdeo said the Government will still be looking to bring professionals from Cuba, but under specific conditions. He also said that government will be looking at other countries as well to fill the labour shortage in the healthcare sector.

“But we are working to ensure that the people who are coming here from Cuba, that they meet the definition because of what the U.S Secretary of State mentioned that the conditions of work here don’t run afoul of the requirements set by the United States of America, but we are recruiting from around the world,” Mr. Jagdeo said.

Mr. Jagdeo said while the Government has lots of countries it can seek healthcare professionals from, the aim is to get many Guyanese as possible trained to work in the system.

“The idea is, to get our people to work in the hospitals, so we are recruiting nursing assistants and a whole range of people to do that, but right now we don’t have enough healthcare personnel to offer the expanded level services that will come through the opening of these hospitals, we have to increase their renumeration and working conditions,” the Vice President noted.

He maintained that there is a shortage in the system and with the new hospitals coming on stream, that shortage is expected to grow.

The Vice President said while there may be concerns about bringing in foreign healthcare workers, the Government will not allow the system to suffer due to shortage of Guyanese healthcare professionals.

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