Cuban nurse leaves the profession: "You can't live on that"

A nurse from Havana announced that he is leaving his profession, despite enjoying it greatly, because it is not possible to make a living from it.

Richard Gutiérrez, who according to information from his social media worked at the Raúl Gómez García polyclinic in the 10 de Octubre municipality and at the La Dependiente Hospital in El Cerro, stated that those years were the most beautiful of his life.

Despite his love for his career, the young man decided to start a new job.

"I begin this new path of entrepreneurship, especially personal. (...) Sad decisions, but necessary," he lamented on his Facebook wall.

"You haven't changed. You're evolving," she stated.

Richard expressed his gratitude for the support he has received from family and friends.

"Cuba is a country where you have to set aside your profession to make a living, a country where you are poorly paid, where with your degree you could make a little paper boat, where your white coat as a health professional is worth nothing..." his friend Eros Ariel commented in another post.

Many workers in the Cuban healthcare sector, disillusioned and frustrated, are leaving their profession for better-paying jobs or roles with improved working conditions.

Recently, a case emerged of a young doctor who, just three years after graduation, stopped practicing due to the degrading state of public health in the country.

Yoelvis Estanquero Oliva, originally from Güines, Mayabeque, stated that among the reasons that led him to make such a drastic decision are "the degrading situation, the lack of resources, and the control over the sick."

In 2023, Diayulise Sori, a 41-year-old nurse, announced that she was leaving her profession after 19 years of work to enter a completely unknown job market.

"I only ask God to grant me wisdom and understanding to perform my new job with the same dedication, love, and sacrifice with which I cared for my patients for 19 years! Today, I stop practicing, but I will never lose the love and commitment of the nurse I carry within," she stated on Facebook.