• Submitted by: lena campos
• Health and Medicine
• 07 / 11 / 2013

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The Brazilian government, under pressure to improve public health services, has dropped plans to import a contingent of Cuban doctors and is instead looking to hire physicians in Spain and Portugal, the Health Ministry said on Monday.

The plan to bring in Cuban doctors created a backlash because of questions about their qualifications. Brazilian medical associations argued that standards at Cuba's medical schools were lower than in Brazil and equivalent in some cases to a nursing education.

Brazil was rocked last month by massive protests fueled by frustration with a high cost of living and deplorable public transportation, education and health services, plus anger over the billions that will be spent to host the 2014 World Cup.

In response, President Dilma Rousseff is moving to expand public services, crack down on corruption and hold a non-binding national vote to see what other reforms Brazilians want. Her push to improve services comes even as the government tightens the reins on overall spending in an effort to preserve fiscal responsibility.

Later Monday, Rousseff is scheduled to announce a national health plan to hire 35,000 doctors through 2015 to practice in remote parts of the country and poor outskirts of Brazilian cities. The plan also will increase slots at medical schools and fund the building and upgrading of medical facilities.

In May, Brazil's government said it was in talks with Cuba to hire 6,000 Cuban doctors to serve in remote parts of the country where medical services are deficient or non-existent.

In the past decade Cuba's communist government has sent 30,000 doctors to work in poor neighborhoods of Venezuela, Havana's closest political ally. Under an agreement reached with the late Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, Cuba sent doctors in exchange for cheap oil.

Instead of a contingent Cuban doctors, Brazil's Health Ministry will hire foreign doctors where needed on an individual basis. Each foreign doctor, a ministry official said, will individually apply for the work in Brazil.

"We never reached a deal with Cuba. Now the priority is Spain and Portugal," the official said.

Cuban doctors can apply, he said, but ads offering doctors work in Brazil will be posted in Spain and Portugal, not in Cuba.

Last week, Brazilian doctors staged demonstrations in several cities opposing the hiring of foreign medics. The government maintained that it will do so to fill gaps left by Brazilian doctors who prefer not to work in remote areas.

Source: Reuters.com