And while that is the story of the Cuban doctors here - what about our students over there?
As pressures mount on the island nation which is being paralyzed by blackouts and food shortages, the Belizean community is concerned about those medical students studying in Cuba, and if anything is being done to assist them.
Bernard says that they ensure that constant dialogue is maintained:
Kevin Bernard, Minister of Health
"When I became the Minister of Health back in 2022, one of the first things when I visited Cuba for the first time, on a diplomatic visit, I met with the students. We spoke to the Belizean students that were out there. Some of them have returned home because they have gone through their processes. And it's always concerning to me as an individual, as a Belizean, but also as the minister of health in terms of what the challenges our Belizean people are facing out there not just the medical students government, but remember we have people in all other areas studying in Cuba. You have engineers, y but many of them go in health. And so one of the things that we have said, and that's one of the reasons why you will note that over the past year or two, we have not sent anybody from the ministry to go and study medicine in Cuba, because why would I send you to go into those conditions That is caused by many things, many factors, the embargo that is upon them, internal issues that they have. I mean, they have a lot of problems with electricity. So our people are crying out. I formed the chat group with the embassy and the Belizean students So I have a constant, dialog with them. So I know I am very aware of what the situation they are facing. And as the Prime Minister has said, we may have to rethink and there is a possibility we may have to call back our students to come home. But that's a personal decision, too, because some of them are out there on their own studying, not on scholarship, but on their own accord. And so but we have to look at the best interest of the Belizean people that are out there."
