Jamaica has blamed the Cuban Government for the discontinuation of the long-running medical programme under which doctors from that Spanish-speaking country worked here, saying that Havana failed to agree to terms that conform to Jamaican law and international conventions.

“We value the contribution of Cuban medical personnel, we respect the Cuban people, and we remain committed to cooperation. However, no programme operating in Jamaica can continue on terms that are inconsistent with Jamaican law and international conventions,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade said in a statement late Saturday evening.

The ministry also said it was disappointed that the Cuban Government has chosen to withdraw its medical personnel “when all that is required is for them to agree to terms which they have already accepted with other Caribbean countries”.

The statement came amidst flak directed at the Jamaican Government for the discontinuation of the more than 50-year-old programme, with critics saying that Kingston has bowed to the dictates of the United States, which has increased economic pressure on the Cuban Government in recent months.

Additionally, the Cuban Government expressed deep regret over the Jamaican Government’s decision to “unilaterally” terminate the agreement.

Giving a chronology of the developments, the Jamaican foreign ministry said: “It is widely known that the United States Government has publicly raised concerns about the operation of the medical programme globally, including a denial of access to travel documents, restricted freedom of movement, and salary payment matters.”

The foreign ministry said the Jamaican Government considered it necessary to review the existing arrangements to ensure compliance with domestic and international legal obligations.

“Other countries in the region have done the same,” the ministry said.

The ministry said a review of the programme confirmed that there were no issues with treatment on the job, accommodation, leave entitlements, or freedom of movement in Jamaica. However, the review revealed two issues which required immediate attention.

“Among the concerns identified was the fact that Cuban personnel were not in possession of their own passports. Once that was brought to the Government’s attention, immediate steps were taken to correct it. The issue was raised with the Passport, Immigration, and Citizenship Agency as well as the Cuban authorities locally to ensure that all personnel were allowed to hold their passports,” the ministry said.

“More fundamentally, the Government also discovered that salary payments for Cuban medical personnel, while calculated at the same level as their Jamaican counterparts, were being made by Jamaica to the Cuban authorities in US dollars. The only payments made directly by the Government of Jamaica to the personnel themselves were overtime payments. Even more concerning, there was no contractual provision specifying what share of those salary payments was to be paid to the workers. That arrangement raised serious concerns under Jamaican labour and tax laws as well as under international labour conventions,” the ministry added.

The Government said it chose “the path of respectful engagement and quiet diplomacy”, adding that in July last year, Jamaica commenced formal discussions with the Cuban authorities aimed at restructuring the arrangement to ensure compliance with Jamaican law and international conventions, which require that workers be paid directly and have control of their travel documents.

“Following Cabinet discussions, a formal proposal was made in October, and this was followed up by a further formal communication in December. These efforts were reinforced by direct enquiries to both former and current Cuban ambassadors, as well as informal engagements at the ministerial level,” the foreign ministry stated.

It also said that the Government proposed continuation of the programme with adjustments. However, it “remains disappointed that, despite these repeated efforts, no substantive response was ever received whether verbally or in writing from Cuba”.

“At the same time, Jamaica became aware that other Caribbean countries had arrangements under which Cuban medical personnel were paid directly. That made it even clearer that a lawful and transparent alternative was possible,” the ministry added.

“Unfortunately, the continued lack of response had the practical effect of preserving an arrangement that Jamaica could not justify. Given our legal obligations, our duty to ensure fairness to workers in Jamaica, and the need for compliance with our own laws and international conventions, the Government ultimately concluded that continuation on the existing terms was untenable,” the ministry said.

“Jamaica has always valued the contribution of the Cuban medical professionals who have served our people with dedication, skill, and compassion. Cuban nurses, doctors, and technicians from the neighbouring island are treated by the Government of Jamaica with respect, care and appreciation,” the ministry stated.