By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.ne

HEALTH and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville said on Friday the government expects to finalise new contracts with Cuban healthcare workers early this month, after flying to Havana for meetings in response to conditions set by the United States.

“I’m pleased to report that I did go to Havana and spoke directly with the brigade as it relates to some of the requirements that were put in place by the United States government,” he said.

“Early next month, I will bring the Cuban and healthcare professionals in the country and sign a contract directly with the government of the Bahamas. For those who are interested, those who are not interested in signing the contracts, we will give them sufficient time to prepare themselves to go back to Cuba, but I’m mindful that we anticipate that the majority intend to stay, and we’re so pleased that we have come up to this point where we will be signing our own contract with the Cuban workers.”

The shake-up in The Bahamas’ Cuban healthcare arrangements followed a warning from US officials that visas for Bahamian government officials and their relatives would be revoked if the country continued participating in Cuba’s labour export programme for medical workers, an arrangement Washington said amounted to forced labour.

In October, Dr Darville confirmed the Davis administration had submitted a draft contract to US officials for review, stressing that Cuban professionals were not in limbo and continued working while talks unfolded. He said the government had not yet received a formal response but wanted to be sure the diplomatic note satisfied all requirements before moving ahead.

Under the proposed overhaul, Cuban workers would be hired directly by the Ministry of Health and would secure their own accommodation, breaking with earlier agreements controlled by Cuba’s state agency, Comercializadora de Servicios Médicos Cubanos. A leaked 2022 contract showed The Bahamas paid up to $12,000 per month for each Cuban doctor, while the doctors themselves received under $1,200.

The United States has since praised The Bahamas for moving to reform the system, describing the policy shift as a positive step.