Cuba has announced it will withdraw its medical personnel from Jamaica following Kingston’s decision to terminate a long-standing health cooperation agreement between the two countries.

There are currently 277 Cuban healthcare workers stationed across Jamaica.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cuba accused Jamaica of yielding to pressure from the United States to end the programme that had linked the two nations’ health sectors for decades.

Earlier this year, the US threatened sanctions and tariffs against countries and their leaders who continue to utilise the services of Cuban medical teams due to alleged human rights abuses and trafficking concerns.

The US alleged money paid to the medics is given to the Cuban government with little money going into the hands of medics.

According to Cuban authorities, more than 4,700 Cuban medical professionals have provided services in Jamaica over the past 30 years.

They said the programme resulted in more than 8.1 million patients being treated, over 74,000 surgeries performed and more than 7,000 births attended. Cuban officials also credited the initiative with saving more than 90,000 lives.

The statement highlighted the impact of the Operation Miracle initiative, which has operated in Jamaica since 2010 and has helped restore or improve the sight of nearly 25,000 Jamaicans.

Cuba also noted that its medical teams assisted with disease prevention efforts, including malaria control, the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery work following the passage of Hurricane Melissa.

Despite the withdrawal, Havana said it remains committed to its tradition of international medical cooperation and expressed solidarity with the Jamaican people.