Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has made it clear that Dominica will not move away from the Cuban Healthcare Program, as doing so will be disastrous for the country.
He made the remarks during a New Year’s sit-down interview with journalists on Thursday night.
The Cuban medical program has been heavily criticized and has faced recent scrutiny and allegations of forced labor, which led to investigations from the Organization of the American States (OAS) and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
Presently, the United States has taken steps to end the program, imposing visa bans on officials tied to that program. However, despite the criticism, Caribbean leaders have defended the program.
“If you move away from the Cuban Healthcare Program, it will be disastrous,” he said. “ I mean, 9 out of 11 medical and nursing practitioners at the ICU [Intensive Care Unit] are Cuban doctors.”
The prime minister acknowledged that Cuba has been a very steadfast partner to Dominica and stated that the partnership will continue, albeit with adjustments.
“Obviously, the United States has certain challenges and concerns with regards to the Cuban program. We’ve discussed it with them. We are also in discussions with the Cuban government, as well, on how we believe that we can better fashion the program to address whatever concerns anybody may have,” Skerrit revealed. “But we will certainly see in the foreseeable future the presence of Cuban-trained doctors and Cuban doctors in Dominica to provide care to us.”
He continued, “Obviously, quite possibly there might be a different configuration and structure, but in terms of having Cuban-trained doctors and Cuban doctors and nurses in Dominica, we just cannot do without it. And unless somebody can give us an alternative…”
Furthermore, Skerrit pointed out that historically, various countries provided Dominica with medical professionals, though things have changed over the recent decades.
“…So back in the eighties and the seventies and nineties, we got doctors from Nigeria…” he said. “But because you have the Nigerian doctors being recruited by the United Kingdom and the Middle Eastern countries, they are not really available to us anymore.”
“We had doctors from India as well…,” Skerrit explained. “ And so we continue to discuss, but certainly we will continue to benefit from the vast knowledge of the Cubans and the Cuban Healthcare System and education system in the foreseeable future.”
“We are also in discussions with the Cuban government, as well, on how we believe that we can better fashion the program to address whatever concerns anybody may have”
Why do you even give a fuhk about Trump’s concerns? The Morguepital is already one of the worst places to have to go in the caribbean, and now you making changes to appease America – That not helping the country out in any form…
Stay there and take it still!
The Cuban doctors and other health workers in Dominica are being exploited and repressed by the Cuban dictatorship in a shameless partnership with the Dominican government. See CubaSalud.org for the evidence. If Dominica needs the doctors, hire them directly and take the Cuban regime entirely out of the equation. Stop this trafficking in persons scheme that helps sustain a criminal dictatorship and treat these human beings with the dignity they deserve.
The Cuban doctors, nurses, and other health workers exported to Dominica and over 50 countries are modern slaves, exploited and abused to generate money to sustain the Cuban dictatorship. Cuba’s medical missions bring in the regime’s largest source of income. Shameless politicians from so-called democracies are accomplices to this. If Dominica needs the Cuban doctors, it can hire them directly and treat them with dignity, respecting all their human and labor rights. Take the Cuban government and its handlers out of the equation.
You are not suggesting for a moment that the Dominican government treats the Cuban medical staff with anything less than dignity, are you? It would be an egregious lie if you were.
?where are the doctors from the oecs countries and other health professionals?. thats the problem with the government, why not invest in you rmost valuable asset: HUMAN CAPITAL. bro….cuban are under a communist system…ofcourse they exploiting them people….by us paying for doctors at a good price and the cuban government collecting the money…..com eone be real mayne..skerrit im getting tired of you now bro…weak and poor bilateral dealings that have us where we are….smh….
People like the Mahaut Don 🗝️ Bwa Banday do not read.I am glad next time he post his Lab garbage on DNO he will be banned.Some people just waking up under their Mahaut whisky and their lunatic medication,and post bs comments.
That is a man with BALLS.Let me ask you a question Mr.Funeral Home,were were you when Rosie Douglas brought a member of the British parliament( BERNIE GRANT) to Dominica re our preferential treatment on the British market?Where was Skerrit when BERNIE GRANT came to Dominica?Traitors must stop lying and misleading Dominicans.Ross left because Skerrit refused to be their puppet and their B*** kisser.Stop trying to mislead the people,the reason UWP cannot win an election.I bet you do not know S*** about Bernie Grant but you posting foolishness about banana industry JACKa
Portsmouth was BOOMING while we had Ross.. Money was flowing, Houses was just building left and right. Now you say “Ross left because skerrit refused to be their puppet”… but now Trump not offering a haypnie to Dominica and skerrit quick to put his tail between his legs.
Tell me that making sense?
How can a person that’s in captivity prevent to be free? Better yet, how can a pilot held hostage decide where he going to land the plane except he decides to crash the plane? Boy when you are held hostage you do what they say. That’s exactly how PM Skerrit is to the US. They gave him enough filage to go go drown himself and now they ready for him they have him in his koko dragging him where they want and he can do nothing. That’s why Dominicans must deliver Dominica from Skerrit because the man is in trouble on every damn side and will do whatever his masters say. We have a prime minister that’s taken captive by China and now in hostage by the US, all because of his greed and corrupt nature. So don’t listen to any thing the man says. Right now if the US tell him they going to empty a jail of criminals and bring them to Dominica to live among us, the only thing Skerrit can ask is When?
Am glad to know the cubans will stay, just ensure that they have the neccesary equipments at the hospital to work with and ensure dominican train doctors work alongside them..
Mèsi Bondyé. People who think Dominica will change her cherised policies of development with social justice and economic independence, or her alliances because of the current international difficulties are wasting their time. Batay-la ka kontiné! Ka twavay!
Why is this useless Marxist sympathizer fgt still in power again. Dominicans have to be the most cucked group of people alive. Imagine thinking that cozying up to a garbage bin of a nation like Cuba, that oppresses its own citizens, is a good idea.
Because we are truly Dumb-in-nicans…..say it fast. You see how much thumbs down you are getting? Never mind it’s the paid RED-ANTS doing this as part of their damage control mechanism but keep watching this space
ADMIN: We see that you reposted this exact comment several times we strongly advise against his behaviour.
Note that doing so might cause your comments to be flagged as SPAM increasing the likelihood that your future comments will automatically be filtered out.
And that would be fine, ADMIN. Your blog would actually be better served without the ish that comes from this poster using different monikers. So, let him/er show his/her truth worth: SPAM!
I have always believed that the US should find a way to ban Skerrit and all his clapping minsters and lawyers from entering the US instead of the people of Dominica. Skerrit doesn’t care a damn about Dominica as long as he can fool them and give them turkey and ham from China to brainwash them
If you move away from the Cuban Healthcare Program, it will be disastrous…”
His statement reminds me of when Skerrit destroyed the banana industry, agriculture and successfully got rid of Ross University just to push his CBI corruption program, he asked “ If not CBI then what?” So PM since CBI is all but gone then you MUST go because you have nothing to turn to.
“And unless somebody can give us an alternative…”
1.if you didn’t run Ross University out we would now be able to have more local doctors and Dominican born healthcare workers.
2. swallow your pride and call back local doctors like Dr IP and others you chased out and others in the Diaspora you refuse to accept . We also have many health workers you forced into early retirement and out of country just to push your agenda
3 what did we do before 2006, when you flooded us with Cuban doctors? In fact we were healthier and had fewer funerals
4 Since you told us you bringing refugees then ask for doctors & health…
Promises by Roosevelt are as worthless as coal dust. If you believe any word that gushes from this mythomaniac’s mouth , you would believe that a fish can climb a coconut tree to collect coconut water when it gets thirsty.
The man has an excessive, compulsive, and an uncontrollable tendency to lie.It’s a personal, psychological disorder.
so u not in love with your pardner famer brown again?but brown send them back already to Cuba… I know you brave…but when Trump ready for you…I hope u doe dribble…
“And unless somebody can give us an alternative…”…Chichi you asked so I am going to give you two alternatives;
1. The Phillipines can give you doctors and nurses that surpasses what the cubans give you and a lower cost. Yes, I say cost because unlike what you want people to believe, we are paying quite a bit for these Cuban professionals.
2. Collaborate with healthcare professional Dcans in the diaspora and have them consider returning early. Give them the same package per person you are paying the Cuban government and their professionals (Combined) and that will have some running back home. At the same time revisit the current package our professionals have and make amendments accordingly so they will stop running away.
Yes we will forever be grateful to Cuba but we can’t take anymore sanctions from uncle T. Enough is enough so put your darn pride aside bro.
unless you still consider yourself the MASTER NEGOTIATOR.
1. Again, you open your mouth and hurl stones from a position of abject, unashamed ignorance. The PM is on record stating clearly that we do pay the Cubans fairly for their work. He first did so after Rubio’s initial claim of abuse of the Cuban people by states participating in the Cuban medical brigade programme. As for this Philippines story, do your research.
2. There is already ongoing collaboration with Dominicans in the diaspora who are serious about working with Dominica. You would know about Dr. Dangleben, but there are many other examples that do not hit the airwaves because those patriotic Dominicans involved choose not to beat their chest in public to look for public adoration. Besides, why must the government reach out to those Dominicans with the capacity to make a difference in Dominica? These professionals got their start in life as a result of investments by the Dominican taxpayers, you know. So they actually OWE Dominica! No need to await an invitation.