Dominica acknowledges its dependency on Cubans and dismisses the idea of ending collaboration: “9 out of 11 doctors are Cuban.”

The Prime Minister of Dominica, Roosevelt Skerrit, assured that his government will not abandon the Cuban Health Program, despite growing international criticism and sanctions initiated from Washington.

“Straying from the Cuban healthcare program would be disastrous,” he stated during a New Year interview with local journalists, according to the media outlet Dominica News Online.

The official stated that, in the country's intensive care unit alone, nine out of eleven doctors and nurses are Cuban. This proportion highlights just how much Dominica relies on the healthcare personnel sent by the regime in Havana to maintain essential services.

The statements from the prime minister come amid intense international scrutiny. The Cuban medical program has been criticized for practices of forced labor and has prompted investigations by the Organization of American States and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

Additionally, the United States has imposed visa restrictions on officials linked to these missions as part of its effort to curb a scheme it deems exploitative.

Nevertheless, Skerrit defended the continuity of the agreement with Cuba and described the island as a “steadfast partner” of Dominica. He acknowledged that his government is in talks with both Washington and Havana to introduce adjustments to the program and address the concerns raised, but made it clear that doing without Cuban doctors is not a realistic option.

“There could be a different arrangement, a different structure, but we cannot do without doctors and nurses trained in Cuba,” the prime minister insisted, emphasizing that no country has offered a viable alternative to fill that gap.

Skerrit recalled that decades ago, Dominica welcomed healthcare professionals from countries like Nigeria and India, but he explained that those sources have gradually diminished over time. Many of those doctors have been recruited by powers such as the United Kingdom or countries in the Middle East, leaving small nations in the Caribbean with few options.