Doctors stranded in Havana after mission in Algeria due to lack of transportation.

Cuban doctors, who fill the coffers of the Cuban regime with million-dollar contracts, suffer from the inaction and indifference of the government.

Médicos cubanos en Argelia (Imagen de referencia) © Cubacoopera Argelia
Cuban doctors in Algeria (Reference image)Photo © Cubacoopera Argelia

Relatives of doctors and health personnel who returned from a mission in Algeria reported that their loved ones are stranded in Havana, staying at Cujae, without available transportation to return to their provinces.

Journalist Yosmany Mayeta reported on Facebook that a source notified him about the arrival this Monday of a flight from Algeria with health personnel, some of whom have been working outside Cuba for five years, and others are ill.

The son of one of the collaborators, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisals from the regime, criticized the lack of support from the Ministry of Public Health for the doctors who returned from a mission in Algeria.

The young man pointed out that this situation occurs despite the money the country obtains through the regime under which it sends Cuban doctors abroad.

Likewise, it was mentioned that after two and a half days of travel, the health personnel were informed that there is no available transportation to take the doctors to their provinces, which prevents them from meeting with their families.

The complainant emphasized that these healthcare professionals are struggling at Cujae, with their belongings thrown around, without receiving an adequate response, highlighting a lack of consideration for those who have worked for years abroad, while the regime keeps the majority of their salaries.

The young man explained that last year, in a similar situation, they had to pay almost 200,000 pesos among all the health specialists to rent a bus to take them home.

"I am the son of one of them and I am really tired of the disrespect from these rulers," concluded the young man.

“It is not easy to work as slaves for several years, generating profits for the pockets of many bosses and having their slaves arrive in Cuba only to be poorly treated,” pointed out Mayeta, echoing the complaints and discomfort of these relatives.

The Cuban medical mission in Algeria has been harshly criticized in the past.

In 2021, the head of the mission at that time, Dr. Reinaldo Menéndez, said that only about 503 health workers in Algeria received in Cuba the bank deposit in MLC corresponding to the money owed up to August, according to an audio leaked by the channel América Te Vé.

"I want to tell you that they have officially accredited the MLC cards to 503 collaborators who have beneficiaries in Cuba," said Menéndez.

The payment did not cover the entire outstanding debt or all the workers, therefore, dissatisfaction remained within a group that reported, in 2021, around 65 million euros every year for the 890 doctors working in Algeria, according to official data.

However, the problem had been dragging on since 2020, when a group of doctors reported that they had gone three months without the Cuban government paying their salaries, as stated to CiberCuba by one of those affected by the non-payment.

What do you think?

COMMENT

Filed under:


Do you have something to report? Write to CiberCuba:

editors@cibercuba.com +1 786 3965 689