Portugal Has Spent $ 12 Million Euros Since 2009 to Recruit Cuban Doctors

Portugal Has Spent $ 12 Million Euros Since 2009 to Recruit Cuban
Doctors / 14ymedio
Posted on August 20, 2014

14YMEDIO, Havana, 19 August 2014 – The Portuguese National Health
Service spent about 12 million euros (about $16 million dollars) in the
last six years to recruit Cuban doctors, the local newspaper Jornal I
reported Tuesday.

In June 2009, the Government of the Socialist José Sócrates signed its
first agreement with Cuba to address the shortage of family doctors. The
first protocols provided for payment of a monthly payment of 5,900 euros
for every Cuban professional, a base salary above the pay of the
Portuguese healthcare provides, although the figure was reduced to 4,230
euros at the end of 2011.

Between August 2009 and 2011, Portugal disbursed 259,600 euros a month
for a team of 44 Cuban doctors. Spending in 2012 and 2013 was 164,970
per month for 39 professionals. Following the changes in the latest
revision of the agreement last April, the monthly cost is currently
219,960 euros, according to information published by Jornal I.

Payments are made every three months to the Cuban Medical Services
Company, which is responsible for paying for healthcare workers,
although each of them receives less than a quarter of the total
disbursed by Portugal for their services. Cuban authorities justify
these deductions to finance training and for the National Public Health
Service.

In addition, Portugal has assumed the cost of travel between the two
countries, including during the holidays, so that doctors can travel
once a year to their country of origin.

The workers on this mission are subject to Cuba's code of ethics and
disciplinary rules. They cannot participate in political activities or
make statements to the press, and must inform the authorities if they
want to marry. The agreement also provides that in case of abandonment
of the mission or violation of the contract, the doctors cannot return
to Cuba for a period of eight years.

Source: Portugal Has Spent $ 12 Million Euros Since 2009 to Recruit
Cuban Doctors / 14ymedio | Translating Cuba -
http://translatingcuba.com/portugal-has-spent-12-million-euros-since-2009-to-recruit-cuban-doctors-14ymedio/