Licences for 20 Cuban doctors

Licences for 20 Cuban doctors
By ANDRE BAGOO Sunday, June 21 2009

CABINET has approved the establishment of a "special panel for the
registration of doctors" which will allow Health Minister Jerry Narace
to circumvent the local Medical Board and allow 20 Cuban doctors to be
granted licences to practise in this country.

Speaking at a press conference at the Ministry of Health, Port-of-Spain,
to address the issue of swine flu, Narace revealed that Cabinet on
Thursday approved a note by the Health Ministry proposing legislation to
set up the special panel.

Noting that his Ministry is working on recruiting 119 doctors and 415
nurses "to augment our current circumstances" in relation to dealing
with the H1N1 virus, Narace said: "We expect approximately 20 more Cuban
doctors and 80 Cuban nurses to arrive by the end of this month which
will assist hospitals and health centres with different aspects of
clinical management."

But he said the issuing of licences for the doctors was proving problematic.

"We anticipate a problem with the provision of licences for these
doctors . . . since the Medical Board has indicated its reluctance to
issue provisional licences," Narace said.

Casting the issue as one of fulfilling Trinidad and Tobago's obligations
to Caricom, Narace said: "As mandated by Caricom, the Ministry
approached the Cabinet and yesterday Cabinet approved a note by the
Ministry of Health recommending the institution of a special panel for
the registration of doctors in consonance with our Caricom obligations
and agreements."

While Cuba is not a member of Caricom, Caricom and Cuba signed a free
trade agreement in 2000 and have enjoyed close relations. The Third
Caricom/Cuba summit was held in December last year. Narace said
legislation to establish the new panel "should come to Parliament
shortly." He noted, however, that he still maintains hope of the Medical
Board acceding to his moves to bring Cuban doctors here.

"I intend to speak to the Medical Board once again to see if they have a
change of heart," he said.

The Opposition's shadow health minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh indicated that
the Opposition is unlikely to support the proposed legislation in
Parliament.

"This is another form of the Government saying, 'If you don't do as I
say we will get our way'," Gopeesingh said. "It is a form of
totalitarianism and dictatorship and an instance of the Government
attempting to bypass the constitutionally independent institutions in
our country.

"The Medical Board is established to ensure safe standards in the
practice of medicine. This raises serious concerns now about the
professional capabilities of these Cuban doctors, their standards of
practise, their English proficiency.

"We will have to meet in caucus but at first blush I will recommend to
the caucus that we do not accept this legislation."

Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday : newsday.co.tt : (21 June 2009)
http://www.newsday.co.tt/politics/0,102445.html