JAMAICA yesterday signed an agreement with Cuba for the provision of 499 Cuban health professionals to work in Jamaica's public health sector over a two-year period.

The Technical Cooperation Agreement was signed between Minister of Health Dr Fenton Ferguson and Cuban Ambassador to Jamaica Yuri Gala Lopez at the ministry's head office on King Street in downtown, Kingston.

Under the agreement, Cuban will send doctors, medical technologists, cytotechnologists, nurses, nursing tutors, physiotherapists and clinical dietitians.

The health professional and technical personnel were identified following a rigorous process of selection which involved Ministry of Health and regional health authorities personnel travelling to the People's Republic of Cuba to conduct interviews.

Dr Ferguson said that the Government intends to place great focus on primary health care renewal, in keeping with one of the ten national strategies that is contained in the National Development Plan, Vision 2030.

"To this end, 20 doctors will be placed in the primary health care setting in the first year to give an immediate boost to service delivery at this level of the health system," he said.

Meantime, ninety-seven nurses will be placed in both primary and secondary care in year one of the agreement.

"It is imperative that quality health care is delivered closer to the level of communities in order to reduce the non-health cost to access health service. Whilst this government has given a commitment for universal access to free health care at the primary health care level, we want to ensure that quality is not compromised. A strong and effective primary health care service will go a far way in restoring public confidence and trust in the public health sector," said the minister.

Minister Ferguson pointed out that the shortage in the health workforce is not confined to Jamaica. Quoting World Health Organisation (WHO) statistics, the minister said that the global shortage was four million of a 100-million health workforce.

"There is a direct correlation between the availability of health workers and the state's ability to provide health care to its citizens. This agreement improves the state's ability to achieve adequate workforce mobilisation as part of our overall attempt to strengthen the health system," said Dr Ferguson.

Meanwhile, Ambassador Lopez said that the first batch of 20 doctors and 97 nurses will arrive in the island in February.

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