‘How much taxpayers’ money will be spent on 30 Cubans?’

The Medical Professionals Association of TT (MPATT) yesterday said approximately $200,000 is being spent to accommodate 30 Cuban medical personnel at The Normandie, St Ann’s, from July 24 to August 16.

MPATT yesterday said the Cubans will be receiving a stipend during their two to three-week orientation sessions at the hotel “without seeing a single patient.” Vice-President of MPATT Dr Lakhan Roop asked: “How much of taxpayers’ money will be spent on the remuneration package for Cubans?” Local doctors are questioning the preferential treatment being given to Cuban medical personnel who have been recruited by the Health Ministry to alleviate shortages in the health sector. Roop also wanted to know how much more of taxpayers’ money is being spent to refurbish State-owned quarters for the Cubans and for their travelling expenses. He said the Cubans were a select group receiving select privileges because Indian and Nigerian doctors have not received similar treatment. During a media briefing at Kam-Po Restaurant, Chaguanas, Roop displayed photographs of the comfortable, posh facilities at Normandie. This was contrasted with photos of the doctors’ common room where local doctors take naps because they did not have a room where they could rest while on call.  Roop said doctors sometimes had to sleep on the floor. Photos of the dilapidated exterior of the nurses’ quarters at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital were also shown. Planning and Development Minister Dr Keith Rowley has said the government had to go to parliament because money was not budgeted for the salary increases to doctors from the agreement signed on December 6, 2001.

Roop said the Cuban situation has not been budgeted and wondered if Government will also go to Parliament. “This Administration is not prepared to pay local doctors even the equivalent of their Caribbean counterparts to encourage quality English-speaking doctors.” Commenting on recent amendments to the Medical Board Act, Dr Colin Furlonge, president of MPATT said the government wanted to bring in doctors who did not meet the criteria of being able to speak English fluently, work under supervision and are members of the General Medical Council with a recognised university degree. He said the Cubans should adhere to standards acceptable to all and write the Caribbean Association of Medical Councils’ exam. He described the power given to the Health Minister, to appoint the five members of the panel to issue temporary licences to doctors, as “direct political interference with the usually democratic process and interference with professional standards.” Before the amendments, the Medical Board of TT was the only body with the responsibility to give temporary licences to foreign doctors.