KINGSTON, March 5 (Reuters) – Jamaica will end a medical cooperation program with Cuba, as the two governments were unable to agree on the terms for a new arrangement, the foreign ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
The medical professionals will be allowed to continue working for the duration of their scheduled tenure, the Jamaican foreign ministry said.
Health and Wellness Minister Christopher Tufton had previously said about 300 Cuban doctors and medical professionals were working on the island, despite the prior agreement having expired in 2023.
Jamaica is the latest country to roll back medical cooperation with Cuba, just as U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration is pressuring countries to sever ties with the island’s communist-run government.
Guatemala announced in February that it would also end a program that sent Cuban doctors to the country.
The Bahamas in June said it was preparing to cancel contracts with Cuban healthcare professionals after discussions with the U.S. government.
(Reporting by Zahra Burton in Kingston, Writing by Iñigo Alexander, Editing by Daina Beth Solomon)
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