Poorest to Suffer as Drive to Halt Cuba’s Overseas Doctors Reaches the Caribbean

In Jamaica, the loss of 277 Cuban medical professionals exposes a fragile system, raising urgent questions for returning residents, the elderly, and those already priced out of care

A cross-section of Jamaica’s healthcare reality, where public hospitals, clinics, and emergency services carry growing pressure as gaps widen following the withdrawal of Cuban medical staff.

• Jamaica has withdrawn 277 Cuban healthcare workers, exposing gaps in public and specialist care.

• Cuba’s global programme has deployed more than 600,000 medical professionals across over 160 countries since 1960.

• Around 20,000 Cuban doctors remain active in roughly 50 countries, many in underserved regions.

• The United States has labelled the programme “forced labour,” prompting visa restrictions and regional pressure.

• Patients in Jamaica are already facing higher costs, including procedures now estimated at JMD 350,000 in the private system.

• The poorest communities, along with returning elderly residents, are expected to bear the greatest strain as access tightens.

The immediate cause is political and legal, but the consequences are human. A recent report by The Guardian warned that the poorest are likely…