WHILE addressing the shortage of healthcare professionals as Guyana expands its health sector, People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has stated that there must be a recruitment of foreign healthcare workers alongside government’s continued investment in building its local human resource.

During a press conference on Thursday at Freedom House, Georgetown, the General Secretary said that the government is recruiting people from around the world, not just Cuba.

He did make it clear that the Government of Guyana is working to ensure that the people who come from Cuba meet the definition because of what the United States (U.S) Secretary of State, Marco Rubio had outlined.

He also stated that the main notion is to develop the nation’s human resources but at the moment, Guyana does not have enough health care personnel to offer the expanded level of services that will come through the opening of the new hospitals.

“So, we have to train more of our people. We have to increase their remuneration and working conditions, and that is in training…. But we don’t want the service to suffer because of the shortage of Guyanese healthcare professionals. We want a good quality service until we can fill those positions with our own people. And so, that is the approach to that matter,” he said.

In February, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the country’s plans to expand a visa restriction policy targetting Cuban officials that are believed to be affiliated with a labour programme that sends Cuban workers overseas, especially those in the health sector. The US administration believes that Cubans may be part of a forced labour programme.

The announcement further went on to state that all who are involved would be deemed complicit in the “exploitation and forced labour of Cuban workers.”

“This expanded policy applies to current or former Cuban government officials, and other individuals, including foreign government officials, who are believed to be responsible for, or involved in, the Cuban labour export programme, particularly Cuba’s overseas medical missions. This policy also applies to the immediate family of such persons. The Department has already taken steps to impose visa restrictions on several individuals, including Venezuelans, under this expanded policy,” the U.S. said.