BRAZIL: GOVERNMENT HIRES 4,000 CUBAN MEDICAL DOCTORS
The government of Brazil decided this Tuesday, August 20, to employ 4,000 Cuban medical doctors after many denials and after announcing that it would give preferential employment to Spanish and Portuguese medical practitioners.
The employment of foreign doctors forms part of the program, Mas Medico, launched by Dilma Rousseff, that offers substantial paid benefits to those that decide to work where Brazilians, up to now, have not wanted to.
Its purpose is to cover the lack of health professionals in the interior and poverty stricken areas of Brazil, as well as, the outer perimeters of its cities, where it is estimated by local authorities that 15,460 medical doctors are sorely needed but where Brazilian doctors fail to respond.
The Brazilian medical community stated that from the onset they have not opposed the arrival of these foreign doctors, as long as, they can pass the exam that will recognize their ability to speak Portuguese, something that is not being asked of the Cuban doctors.
Of the 4,000 Cuban physicians, 400 will arrive immediately and the remainder is scheduled to arrive before the end of the year.