Since the pandemic started, Cuba has been sending members of its medical workforce to help countries across the globe battle the deadly virus. Thousands of Cuban doctors have been sent to Caribbean and African nations that have poor health care systems. Last April, 216 medical staff were sent to South Africa, and South Africa in turn has sent medical supplies back to Cuba to assist the country in their own COVID-19 fight.

As of April 2020, Cuba has sent over 590 doctors all across the globe. The first batch of doctors were sent to Italy, and since then many more countries are filing their requests for medical help. Cuba holds the world's highest number of doctors per capita and is known for their prevention and preparedness when tackling epidemics.

History of Cuban Doctors in Brazil

Last Monday, more than 150 Cuban doctors were enlisted to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the country. With the current death toll at almost 17,000 and with over 250,000 positive cases, the country needs all the help it can get.

All 157 Cuban doctors had their licenses reinstated under the Mais Medicos program. 

The Mais Medicos program which literally translates to "More Doctors" was launched in 2013 wherein Brazil hired foreign physicians to improve the failing health system. It was a three-year contract to bring in thousands of doctors from Cuba and send to deprived and underprivileged areas. This agreement guaranteed Cuba $225 million a year.

During Bolsonaro's presidential campaign, he had said some words which did not resound well to Cuba. Immediately after his win, Cuba pulled out more than 8,300 doctors all of whom were working in the poorest regions of Brazil.

Out of the thousands, around 1,800 of them stayed behind mostly because they had already settled and built families in Brazil. 

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Filling the void

At his presidential campaign, President Jair Bolsonaro vowed to expel Cuban doctors even claiming that they are only in Brazil to form guerilla groups. With the coronavirus now claiming lives, the tides have changed and he now believes that they are important in protecting the health and welfare of the Brazilian people.

Most Cuban doctors who were assigned in the 2013 Mais Medicos campaign settled in the rural areas and indigenous of Brazil. When they left no one was there to replace them. At one time, a thousand doctors who were assigned in those rural areas quit after just three months.

Doctors are Cuba's largest export. This started in 2000 when Cuba experienced one of the worst economic crises due to the collapse of the Soviet Union. The first program was in partnership with Venezuela and was called the Barrio Adentro plan wherein 30,000 Cuban doctors were sent to poor areas in Venezuela and oil shipments were paid in exchange for their service. 

Most, if not all Cuban doctors prefer to work in other countries because they earn so much more compared to working back home even if part of their income goes straight to the government. 

Several countries continue to criticize Cuba, claiming that this is an outright exploitation of their medical workforce.