Jamaica and Cuba have agreed to sustain healthcare collaboration through the provision of eye care services and health specialists to Jamaica’s public health system.
The agreement was signed on the sidelines of an international health conference in Cuba this week by Jamaica’s Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr. Christopher Tufton, and Cuba’s Minister of Public Health, Dr. José Angel Portal Miranda, according to a statement from the Ministry of Health.
A letter of intent was signed with the Cuban government for a technical cooperation agreement for the continuous provision of a medical brigade of health experts. A similar letter was signed to renew an agreement for the operation of an Ophthalmology Centre to continue assisting eye health in Jamaica.
Tufton said that the Cuban medical brigade primarily provides nurses to assist at public hospitals. He shared that the eye care arrangement is being extended after being suspended due to COVID-19.
While Tufton was excited about the second agreement made, he expressed gratitude to Cuba for the partnership stating that Jamaicans appreciate and have benefited from it.
The Cuban health minister expressed that Jamaica would continue to enjoy the support from his country, noting that the letters of intent will help deepen the relationship between the two countries even more.
In July 2009, the two countries signed the first collaboration agreement to develop a Center of Excellence. The following year, Jamaica welcomed the first of four medical brigades from Cuba.
The Jamaica-Cuba Eye Care Programme was launched in January 2010.
