Key facts
- Calabria, Italy's poorest region, relies on over 200 Cuban doctors to staff its hospitals due to a severe shortage of local healthcare workers.
- The U.S. has pressured Italy and other nations to end Cuban medical missions, labeling them as human trafficking and a source of revenue for the Cuban government.
- Calabria's governor, Roberto Occhiuto, has defied U.S. pressure, stating the doctors are vital for maintaining hospital services.
- The region has established direct contracts with Cuban doctors, depositing salaries into their Italian bank accounts, a departure from previous payment structures.
- Cuban doctors acknowledge sending a portion of their salaries back to Cuba, citing the country's economic situation.
Calabria, Italy's southernmost and poorest region, is continuing its controversial program of employing Cuban doctors to address a severe shortage of healthcare professionals, defying pressure from the United States.
Cuba has for decades dispatched medical personnel to developing nations, and over 200 Cuban doctors are currently working in remote hospitals across Calabria. This program is seen as essential by regional officials, as a lack of homegrown doctors had forced some hospital departments to close and led to extremely long wait times in emergency rooms.
The U.S. has long criticized Cuba's medical missions, labeling them as a form of human trafficking and a significant source of revenue for the Cuban government. This stance has led some Caribbean and Central American countries, such as Jamaica and Honduras, to terminate their agreements with Cuba. However, Calabria's governor, Roberto Occhiuto, an unlikely proponent of the program given his anti-communist political leanings, has refused to comply.
Governor Occhiuto stated that while Cuba's socialism does not align with his views, the region's healthcare system depends on the Cuban doctors. He has engaged in discussions with U.S. officials, including the U.S. charge d’affaires to Cuba, Mike Hammer, who visited Calabria to express U.S. concerns and suggest alternative staffing solutions. Despite these pressures, Occhiuto has reiterated the necessity of keeping Cuban doctors in their posts to keep hospitals open.
Calabria's deal with Cuba has been structured differently, with the region signing individual contracts with the doctors and depositing salaries into their Italian bank accounts, rather than paying the Cuban government agency that typically manages these missions. Cuban doctors confirmed they still send a portion of their earnings to the Cuban government, citing the country's economic challenges.
Calabria's healthcare system has historically struggled with underdevelopment, budget deficits, corruption, and Mafia infiltration, leading many newly graduated Italian doctors to seek careers in the more prosperous north. The region ranks last among Italy's 20 regions for public healthcare access.