WILLEMSTAD - The Curaçao Medical Center (CMC) knows nothing about plans to bring healthcare providers from Cuba to Curaçao. During last week’s press conference, Prime Minister Gilmar Pisas said his government has sought contact with Cuba. Medical personnel could come from there to relieve and assist the employees of the CMC.
"We are looking for as many people as possible in the region," Pisas said, adding that there were still "certain aspects" that needed to be resolved, such as housing for Cuban health care providers and possible communication problems due to Spanish. The prime minister also did not clarify how this plan would be financed.
CMC spokesman Germaine Gibbs says that 45 healthcare providers now work in the hospital through the American employment agency AMI. Of these, 24 were already on the island last year.
The other 21 started work in the CMC partly at the beginning of January and partly last week. The extra care providers are deployed in the intensive care unit and in the salaries are paid by the Netherlands, the housing by Curaçao.