Govt. says it was Cuba that ended medical pact

Mar 10, 2026 News

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…as Guyana explores recruitment of T&T doctors

(Kaieteur News) – Minister of Health, Frank Anthony, has clarified that it was the Government of Cuba that ended its longstanding medical cooperation agreement with Guyana and not the President Irfaan Ali administration.

The minister made the disclosure during an interview with News Source on Monday, explaining that after discussions between the two countries, Cuban authorities ultimately decided to withdraw their medical personnel from Guyana. “We have been engaging the Cuban authorities and they chose to terminate or withdraw the Cuban doctors who were here. So that’s the first thing I want to make clear. The Cubans have withdrawn their medical workers who were here,” Dr. Anthony said.

According to the health minister, the withdrawal took place in February 2026, bringing an end to a medical partnership that had lasted for more than 48 years. In 2023, Guyana and Cuba had signed a new Medical Cooperation Agreement at the Ministry of Health aimed at strengthening bilateral collaboration in the health sector. The agreement was signed by Dr. Anthony and Cuba’s Ambassador to Guyana, Jorge Francisco Soberón Luis.

Cuban medical missions have faced increased scrutiny from the United States in recent years. During the first administration of Donald Trump (2017–2021), visa sanctions were imposed on Cuba’s global medical programme, which Washington described as exploitative, alleging that Cuban doctors were underpaid and had limited freedoms.

However, in a previous interview on February 9, Dr. Anthony had stated that Guyana had formally ended the bilateral arrangement, arguing that the agreement was no longer necessary since Cuban doctors were now travelling to Guyana independently to seek employment.  “There is no reason. We have Cuban doctors that are coming to Guyana now, they come independently, so we employ them. So there’s no need for the agreement,” Dr. Anthony said.

“Right now what we’re doing is that any doctor or nurse from Cuba who wants to work in Guyana, once they have their qualifications and they come here, we’re able to employ them and they have the same terms and conditions like any Guyanese doctor,” he added.

The minister also explained that the government is simply complying with the country’s labour laws. “This country has labour laws, and those laws allow people to be employed and receive their salaries. We can’t break any rules that we have in our country. So we have been following those rules, which are consistent with what the US government has been asking,” he said. Following the withdrawal of the Cuban medical brigade, the Government of Guyana moved to directly hire Cuban medical personnel who wish to remain or work in the country.

“Cuban doctors, nurses and technicians, if they want to come to Guyana, they can come, and once they are properly qualified and certified by our medical authorities here, such as the Medical Council and Nursing Council, then we will be able to offer them a job,” the Minister explained on Monday.

He said a number of Cuban healthcare professionals have already taken up employment within Guyana’s public health system, including some who were previously part of the Cuban medical brigade and chose to remain in the country.

However, Dr. Anthony said he could not provide an exact figure. “I don’t have the number, but quite a number of persons, and some persons who were on the brigade also decided to stay back, so they are working with the Government of Guyana,” he said. The health minister maintained that the withdrawal of the Cuban brigade has not negatively impacted Guyana’s healthcare system, noting that the Ministry of Health has been expanding its local training programmes.

“As you know, we have been expanding our healthcare system and we have also started to expand training. A lot of people who were on the brigade were nurses, and through our training programme we are compensating for those that would have been withdrawn,” he said.

Dr. Anthony noted that the government launched a registered nursing programme three years ago, and by June this year close to 800 nurses are expected to graduate and enter the health system. Meanwhile, the minister revealed that the government is exploring the possibility of recruiting doctors from Trinidad and Tobago.

“We are still in discussions with Trinidad because we understood that they had about 400 doctors who weren’t finding jobs in Trinidad. That’s one of the things we are exploring. Some of them, once they are suitably qualified, then we would be able to accommodate them,” he said. The end of the Cuban medical brigade has also sparked criticism from some sections of society.

On March 5, 2026, a delegation of concerned Guyanese delivered a strongly worded letter to Irfaan Ali and Foreign Affairs Minister Hugh Todd demanding an immediate reversal of the government’s decision to terminate the services of the Cuban Medical Brigade. The letter, signed by more than 100 organisations and individuals, urged the administration to restore the presence of Cuban doctors and resist what they described as mounting pressure from the United States to dismantle the longstanding scholarship programme that allows Guyanese students, particularly in medicine, to study in Cuba.

Their appeal followed a press release from the U.S. Embassy in Guyana quoting U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who expressed appreciation for Guyana’s decision to end participation in what Washington described as the Cuban regime’s “medical mission forced labour scheme.” The signatories rejected that characterization as baseless and offensive, noting that successive Guyanese administrations have long praised the contributions of Cuban medical professionals.

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• Cuba, Cuban medical brigade, Dr. Frank Anthony, medical pact

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