Health Minister Dr. Michael Darville has defended the presence of Cuban health workers in The Bahamas, emphasizing their crucial role in the country’s optometry program, which has provided vital eye care to hundreds of Bahamians.
The Bahamas has joined other Caribbean Community (CARICOM) nations in defending Cuba’s medical brigade program, which has faced scrutiny from the United States. Washington has labeled the program a form of human trafficking and recently announced expanded visa restrictions targeting those involved in Cuba’s labor export initiative.
“That’s a difficult question,” Darville admitted when asked if The Bahamas would reconsider the program in light of U.S. allegations. “The services they provide in the country are needed, and so the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is presently in discussions with their counterparts in the United States.”
He clarified that the government does not believe Cuban medical workers are victims of forced labor. “There seems to be this cloud that there is forced labor, and we don’t believe so, but ultimately, the negotiations are ongoing,” Darville said. He added that if the country were to lose Cuban medical personnel, it would need to recruit foreign specialists until Bahamian doctors completing post-graduate training abroad return home.
Currently, The Bahamas has two ophthalmologists, one retina specialist, one cataract specialist, and one optometrist participating in a partnership with Cuba’s ophthalmology center. Under this program, the Bahamian government sponsors patients to travel to Cuba for critical eye surgeries, with Cuban doctors providing follow-up care in The Bahamas.
“That’s a part of guaranteeing quality control,” Darville explained. “Their doctors did the surgery, and so their doctors do the follow-ups.” He noted that the Cuban specialists have helped clear a significant backlog of eye surgeries exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Looking ahead, Darville revealed that The Bahamas is also exploring medical collaborations with China to further address delays in cataract, glaucoma, and retina treatments. He attributed the high demand for these services to complications from chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.
Regarding Cuban nurses, Darville confirmed that most who assisted during the COVID-19 pandemic have since returned home. He dismissed concerns about unfair labor conditions, stating, “It’s the same salary range as the Bahamian nurses. There’s no difference, and all the labor components that Bahamian nurses get, the Cuban nurses get.”
Darville also pointed out that The Bahamas is struggling with an exodus of local healthcare professionals due to aggressive recruitment from North America. “The intensity of the recruitment has left us in a situation that forces us to recruit from abroad,” he said.
Last week, Prime Minister Philip Davis also pushed back against suggestions that The Bahamas is complicit in forced labor. “Our laws, starting from our constitution, prohibit that kind of engagement,” Davis said. “This government does not intend to engage in any forced labor. It’s against our laws, and we are a country of laws.”
Davis added that while his administration will review the situation, there is no indication that The Bahamas has engaged in practices that violate international labor standards.
