Jamaica has ended its decades-long medical cooperation programme with Cuba after the two governments failed to reach new terms for a technical cooperation agreement.
According to Jamaica’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, the decision follows unsuccessful efforts to negotiate a replacement for the previous agreement, which expired in February 2023.
Under the programme, Cuban doctors, nurses and specialists had helped fill staffing gaps in Jamaica’s hospitals and clinics for nearly five decades. Health and Wellness Minister Christopher Tufton previously said about 300 Cuban medical professionals were still working on the island.
The Jamaican government said those currently serving may continue working through individual contracts that comply with local labour laws. However, Cuba has since ordered the return of the Cuban Medical Brigade stationed in Jamaica.
Jamaica said it had proposed restructuring the agreement so that payments would be made directly to the doctors and that the medical personnel would retain possession of their passports.
According to the ministry, Havana did not respond to the proposal, instead opting to withdraw 277 doctors rather than accept what Jamaica described as reasonable terms.
The government said the arrangement raised concerns under Jamaica’s labour and tax laws, as well as international labour conventions. Officials also noted that payments for the doctors were previously made to Cuban authorities rather than directly to the medical workers.
Kingston began reviewing the agreements governing the programme after the United States alleged that Cuba’s overseas medical missions amount to forced labour.
Cuba’s foreign ministry described Jamaica’s decision as “regretful,” accusing Kingston of yielding to pressure from the United States.
The ministry said Jamaica had unilaterally informed the Cuban embassy on March 4 of its decision to terminate the health cooperation agreement that had linked the two countries for decades.
amaica is the latest Caribbean and Latin American country to scale back cooperation with Cuba’s medical missions as pressure from Washington increases under the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
In recent months, Honduras and Guatemala have also ended similar programmes, while countries including Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Guyana and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines have reviewed their arrangements.
Cuban doctors have been working in Jamaica since 1976, providing critical support to the island’s public health system, particularly in underserved communities.