Foreign docs’ contracts expire

The doctors are from Africa and India and their contracts come to an end later this year.

Concerned that a staff shortage on the wards could result, Trinidade said, “Replacing the doctors will not help in any way. Currently, there is a staff shortage at the SFGH and we need to reduce this situation by having sufficient doctors on all the wards at the hospital.”

The African and Indian doctors are to be replaced by nationals. The doctors who are to be affected have been working at the hospital for the past two years.

Concerned about their future, the foreign doctors yesterday met with Trinidade.

Trinidade said, “The doctors are unsure of their future and they wanted answers surrounding their contracts. However, I was unable to shed any light on the situation, because the decision to replace the doctors was a decision of the RHA.”

SWRHA communications specialist Nalini Parasam said the experiences of the African and Indian doctors were similar to their Cuban counterparts. She said, “Last month, Cuban doctors returned to their homeland after their contracts were not renewed.”

Scores of Cuban nurses, whose contracts expired, have also returned to their homeland.