Cuban government says Jamaica ‘yields to US pressure’ by ending medical program

The Government of Cuba has expressed regret over Jamaica’s decision to end its medical cooperation program, describing the move as yielding to U.S. pressure and disregarding decades of collaborative healthcare work.

In a statement issued Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cuba said the Foreign Ministry of Jamaica communicated on March 4 its unilateral decision to terminate the health cooperation agreement that has linked the two nations for decades.

“With this action, the government of Jamaica yields to the pressures of the government of the United States, which is not concerned about the health needs of the Caribbean brothers,” the Cuban ministry said.

Cuba highlighted the long-standing contributions of its medical professionals to Jamaica’s healthcare system. “Cuba deeply regrets that in this way a history of fruitful and sustained collaboration is disregarded, one that has brought countless benefits to the Jamaican people, who are now deprived of receiving the basic and specialized health services that Cuban collaborators provided,” the statement said.

In response to Jamaica’s decision, Cuba said it will proceed with the return of its Cuban Medical Brigade. The ministry noted that these health professionals leave behind “an indelible mark” and return to Cuba “with the satisfaction of a duty fulfilled and the permanent willingness to assist wherever their spirit of solidarity is required.”

According to the statement, more than 4,700 Cuban collaborators have provided medical assistance in Jamaica over the last 30 years, with the current brigade composed of 277 professionals. Their work has included:

• Treating more than 8,176,000 patients

• Performing 74,302 surgical procedures

• Attending 7,170 births

  - Advertisement -

• Saving more than 90,000 lives

Cuba also highlighted the impact of its Operation Miracle program, present in Jamaica since 2010, which has restored or improved the sight of nearly 25,000 Jamaicans. Cuban medical personnel have also contributed to malaria control, COVID-19 pandemic efforts, and disaster response, including after Hurricane Melissa, during which many doctors worked more than 72 consecutive hours to assist hospitals and communities.

“Faithful to the historic relations of brotherhood and solidarity that unite us with Jamaica, Cuba reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the Jamaican people, who will always be able to count on the selfless cooperation of Cuba,” the statement concluded.

On Thursday, Jamaica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Kamina Johnson Smith, said that the decision to discontinue the deployment of Cuban medical professionals in the public health sector resulted from an inability to reach agreement on new terms under a revised technical cooperation framework—not due to external pressure from the United States.