Second defecting Cuban doctor says he is in the US
The second Cuban doctor to quit the More Doctors Program, Ortelio Jaime Guerra, has said on social networks that he is in the United States now. The local government in his workplace town of Pariquera-Açu, São Paulo, has confirmed his desertion, but has not given further details. The Ministry of Health is trying to find out the exact circumstances of his flight.
Last Sunday (Feb. 9), Guerra posted a message to his “friends in Pariquera-Açu” that he had had to sneak away due to security concerns. He thanked his colleagues promising to visit them sometime, and assured that he is fine. He claimed that while he felt he had to do it, he will always be proud of Cuba, “mi terra y mis raíces [my homeland and my roots]” and went on to say that a picture that he had posted on Feb. 2 was taken in São Paulo.
Meanwhile, another Cuban doctor, Ramona Matos Rodriguez, arrived in Brasília on February 1st, after leaving her post in Pacajá, Pará. She claims to have been cheated by the government of Cuba with a monthly pay of as little as $400, well below the $4,100 paid to other program recruits.
Alongside desertions, arrangements for accommodation, meals, and transport provided to the participating doctors – which under the program rules is a role of local governments as a form of compensation for being supplied healthcare personnel – have been yet another issue. The Ministry of Health reported it has notified all local governments that failed to meet these obligations, and given them 15 days to sort it out. Failure to miss this deadline will result in termination from the program and subsequent relocation of the locally assigned doctors.
According to the Ministry of Health, noncompliance has been reported in 37 municipalities. Out of these, 27 have successfully fixed the issues, but Ceará-Mirim, in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, has been disqualified from the program.
Translated by Mayra Borges
Fonte: Second defecting Cuban doctor says he is in the US
