The Conselleria de Salut ( Ministry of Health Catalonia) has formally requested to the Ministry of Health to incorporate Cuban doctors to healthcare teams in Catalonia to fight the coronavirus and thus alleviate the tension on medical staff, according to sources from the Generalitat (Government of Catalonia). Counselor Alba Vergés calls for an express approval of the qualifications of these professionals so that they can work in Catalonia, just as they already do in Andorra or Italy, exactly in Lombardy, the epicenter of Covid-19 in Europe . Cuban doctors residing in Spain could also benefit.
According to the aforementioned sources, the possibility of recruiting Cuban doctors was put on the table of the crisis cabinets at the beginning of the week and, according to the aforementioned sources, in recent hours the Salvador Illa ministry has been asked to facilitate the hiring of this personal. They have also been interested in incorporating doctors from the Caribbean island into the Valencian Community and the Balearic Islands, although in the first contacts they had found reluctance in the central government.
Together with the Generalitat, Valencia and Baleares have been interested in these teams
During the month of March, Cuba has sent medical brigades to fourteen countries, mostly in Latin America, and has aid workers fighting against Covid-19 in another thirty. However, in recent weeks Cuban brigades have been released in Europe. In fact, a total of 39 Cuban health professionals – 12 doctors and 27 nurses – already strengthen the Andorran health system.
In recent days, the CUP had even considered that these doctors could work in healthcare centers in La Seu d’Urgell, Puigcerdà or Berga, due to their proximity to Andorra.
In addition, 52 other Cuban health workers – 37 doctors and 15 nurses – specialists in the fight against epidemics in Africa and other parts of the world work in Italy. On March 22, the Cuban brigade arrived in Bergamo and opened in the field hospital built to respond to the health emergency. France has also authorized Cuban doctors to work in its overseas territories, such as Martinique, Guadalupe or Guyana.
Given the pressure of assistance and the contagions of medical personnel, what the Generalitat is demanding is that the procedures for the validation of qualifications be expedited and that the work of this type of brigades be facilitated, as well as that of Cuban doctors already residing in the State in order to provide specialists to all spaces enabled to serve patients.
