A Cuban doctor shared his story of leaving his profession to reinvent himself as a bartender because his salary in the healthcare sector was not enough to live on. Ernesto Fajardo graduated in 2022 and easily secured his dream specialty in Orthopedics. Despite his love for the job, he couldn't last a year.
"The money wasn't enough for anything. As soon as I got paid, I gave a percentage to my mom for household expenses, and the rest was gone after a small outing. In summary: I spent one week with money and three weeks without a cent in my wallet," he told the Girón weekly.
The young doctor knew that in Cuba, doctors never earned well, but he never imagined that his salary wouldn't even cover his most basic economic goals.
"I can't depend on my mother forever. She, by the way, is 55 years old and has three jobs. She spends entire nights in front of the computer to support us. It wasn't fair to her if I continued in the profession at her expense," he emphasized.
"Not even now with the salary increase, which still doesn't match the workload that doctors and specialists have in hospitals. Imagine, out of my year, 10 started in Orthopedics, and now there are four left. In fact, at the beginning, there were 20 residents across the four years, and now only eight remain," he detailed.
Ernesto denounced the situation at the Faustino Pérez Provincial Hospital, where both medical staff and medical supplies are lacking.
"Most of the time, we were only two residents on call, accompanied at most by one specialist, whereas before there were three per shift," he recalled.
"At first, the families took it out on us, as if the doctor was to blame for the shortages. Once, a family member almost got into a fight with me because he couldn't understand why the hospital didn't have gauze. It was something that really affected me in practice; I wasn't prepared to tell people to go out and buy supplies themselves," he explained.
Despite the stress and overload, the doctor enjoyed his profession immensely. That's why leaving it was a very difficult decision, although he doesn't regret it.
"The problem was that when I got home, I had no money in my pocket, and I couldn't continue like that. Not even now, I insist, with the salary increase, during times when an egg carton costs 3,200 pesos. It's very tough…," he stressed.
Challenges Faced by Cuban Doctors
Here are some frequently asked questions about the challenges faced by Cuban doctors, based on Ernesto Fajardo's story.
Why did Ernesto Fajardo leave his medical profession?
Ernesto Fajardo left his medical profession because his salary was insufficient to cover basic living expenses, forcing him to depend on his mother.
What challenges do doctors face in Cuban hospitals?
Doctors in Cuban hospitals face challenges such as staff shortages, lack of medical supplies, and inadequate salaries that do not reflect their workload.
How did the salary increase affect the situation of doctors in Cuba?
Even with the salary increase, the wages still don't match the heavy workload of doctors and specialists, making it difficult for them to meet their basic needs.