Posted at 1:42 p.m. EST Wednesday, February 21, 2001in the
Miami Herald
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras -- (AP) -- Unhappy with free competition, Honduras'
main medical association on Wednesday demanded that the government send 121
Cuban doctors back to Cuba.
"The government should not bring more medical professionals from Cuba
to replace us,'' said Felicito Montalvan, President of the Honduran Medical
College.
Socialist Cuba -- which says it has a surplus of physicians -- sent doctors
to Honduras in late 1998 to help the Central American country cope with the
devastation caused by Hurricane Mitch.
While the direct emergency has faded, the Cubans have stayed, offering free
care to people in some of the poorest, most isolated parts of the hemisphere.
Officials estimate the Cubans have treated 1.2 million patients and
Honduras' congress in May declared the Cuban doctors "friends of
Honduras,'' although the two countries haven't had full diplomatic relations
since 1962.
The government has extended their stay here through at least October and has
even suggested bringing more to treat the country's police force and prison
population.
"The CMH (Medical College) is worried that the government is trying to
replace Honduran doctors with foreigners ... and that violates the country's
laws,'' Montalvan said.
The Honduran constitution says that professionals in the country must have
an academic degree certified by the National Autonomous University.
Montalvan said that at least 150 young Honduran doctors haven't found jobs
and 2,500 others are ready to work anywhere in the country, though they had not,
in practice, reached many of the areas where the Cubans have been working.
Honduran doctors earn an average of about $1,300 a month.
Montalvan said the 6,000 members of the association would "adopt severe
measures'' if the government fails to respond.
Copyright 2001 Miami Herald | 