For decades, Cuban doctors have quietly filled the gaps left by Saint Lucia’s thinning medical workforce, tending to rural clinics and emergency rooms as local nurses and specialists migrate in growing numbers.
That long‑standing lifeline is now under strain as Washington sharpens its objections to the presence of Cuban medical brigades in the Caribbean.
Health Minister Moses Jn Baptiste says the country must prepare for shifting diplomatic winds that could upend decades of cooperation with Cuba.
Even as he reaffirmed Saint Lucia’s appreciation for Cuba’s humanitarian support, he acknowledged the deeper challenge; a region‑wide exodus of nurses and specialists that has left governments scrambling to secure new sources of medical personnel.
The situation, he warned, is fluid, and the government is now exploring alternative training and recruitment relationships to guard against the possibility that geopolitical pressure may one day force a change the country cannot afford. He mentioned Africa as a possibility, mirroring Barbados’ recruitment of nurses from Ghana.
“We are working with institutions and other countries. Some countries in the Caribbean have gone to countries in Africa, Ghana and other countries, and we are also exploring relationships and collaborations with countries in Africa,” he stated.
Jn Baptiste also pointed to government investment in local training for nurses, referencing support for the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College’s nursing programme in an effort to encourage more Saint Lucians to enter the profession.
Earlier this month, the US Embassy in the Eastern Caribbean alleged that Cuban medical workers endure withheld wages, confiscated passports, forced family separation and intimidation claims that Saint Lucia and other Caribbean governments have rejected.
Minister of External Affairs Alva Baptiste has insisted that Cuban doctors on the island are legally employed and not victims of forced labour, while regional leaders from Jamaica to Trinidad have bristled at Washington’s stance.
Some, like Ralph Gonsalves, former Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, have gone so far as to declare they would sooner forfeit their US visas than expel Cuban professionals who have long buttressed fragile health systems.
Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre has likewise acknowledged the reality of Washington’s stance, noting that the United States has made clear its discomfort with Cuban medical brigades in the region.
For Saint Lucia, he said, the challenge is to navigate that geopolitical reality without compromising national interests.
“What we have to do is make alternative arrangements for ourselves when these things happen,” Pierre explained, stressing that no final decisions have been taken but that the government is being proactive in safeguarding the country’s health system against external shocks.
Majority of Cubans down here are in support of the US. We are the only ones who want to maintain ties due to the benefits we have acquired, however alot of these Cubans are really seeking the opportunity to leave Cuba with the possibility of securing another passport.
Hmmm, how are you so sure those Cubans is in support of the US. (We are the only ones who want to maintain ties due to the benefits we have acquired.) You think St. Lucia trying maintain ties with the US is any better. I think what ever help and assistance we could get to further our cause we should take, i appreciate the Cubans help.