Cuban doctor recruitment may not be just the medicine for Brazil
8 May 2013
Brazilian doctors have expressed anger at plans to hire around 6,000 Cuban doctors to work in remote and poorly-served parts of South America’s largest nation.
Wed, 8 May 2013Brazilian doctors have expressed anger at plans to hire around 6,000 Cuban doctors to work in remote and poorly-served parts of South America’s largest nation.
The worry of Brazilian medical associations is that Cuban medical training is of a lower standard, often more similar to nursing education, with the Federal Council of Medicine (CFM) calling the plan “irresponsible”.
The CFM also points out that foreign doctors tend to prefer to work in larger cities upon arriving as migrants, rather than the less-populated districts where they would be needed.
Money sent home by Cuban expatriates is vital to the country’s economy. Tens of thousands of Cuban doctors are currently working in Venezuela, which provides the island nation with cut-price oil.
Brazilian-Cuban trade volumes increased 6% year-on-year between 2011 and 2012, to over $660m (£426m)
The worry of Brazilian medical associations is that Cuban medical training is of a lower standard, often more similar to nursing education, with the Federal Council of Medicine (CFM) calling the plan “irresponsible”.
The CFM also points out that foreign doctors tend to prefer to work in larger cities upon arriving as migrants, rather than the less-populated districts where they would be needed.
Money sent home by Cuban expatriates is vital to the country’s economy. Tens of thousands of Cuban doctors are currently working in Venezuela, which provides the island nation with cut-price oil.
Brazilian-Cuban trade volumes increased 6% year-on-year between 2011 and 2012, to over $660m (£426m)
- Click for more news from healthcare and medical recruitment from Recruiter. And if you operate in Brazil, contact our reporter Sam Burne James to contribute to the June edition of Recruiter’s Global Spotlight.
