The needs of doctors have been identified and discussions continue.
The Defense and Promotion Committee of the hospital and health in the Cévennes, including members Jean-Michel Suau and Sylvain André, has been working for a year on the possible arrival of Cuban doctors in the area.
On Monday, the visit to Cendras by the head of the Cuban embassy’s mission in France made progress on some points. Jean-Michel Suau stated the following: “Whether it’s the City of Alès or the Agglo, we have one doctor for 2300-2400 inhabitants. We have estimated our needs at around 100 doctors. The arrival of Cuban doctors may be a temporary solution, but a solution nonetheless. We know that 20% of the doctors in the area are over 65 years old. What will we do when they retire?”
“We’re not going to receive an army of doctors,” nuances André Chassaigne, honorary deputy in charge of missions in the National Assembly in the Caribbean and in Cuba. “We won’t cover all needs, but the idea is to complement existing teams. This project will not happen without the establishments.”
According to the committee, just at the Alès hospital, 24 doctors and eight radiographers would be welcome. For the Filières network, with its eight health centers, the needs are around twelve doctors. In the surrounding municipalities of Alès or in retirement homes, other needs have been identified.
A convention to establish the international cooperation contract
After the official submission of the file to the embassy representative, the committee met with the management of the Alès hospital. “We don’t want to create resistance. We want this project to be accepted by all stakeholders. That’s why we are meeting with the hospital management, the doctors… We are not in confrontation, but in explanation,” said André Chassaigne. “We now need to establish the cooperation agreement between the two states. This agreement should determine a number of things, such as expectations, organization for the arrival of doctors, their supervision…”
The committee has already been received by the health advisor to the president of the Republic, as well as representatives from the Ministries of Health and Foreign Affairs. “There is no blockage, assure the elected officials from the Cévennes. We are currently working on a draft convention that we will present to the ministries. We have a meeting scheduled for March 11th.”
So, the ball is in the court of the relevant ministries. Cuba’s representative, Justo Rodriguez, praised “the good relations between his country and France, which, thanks to the French Development Agency, has carried out actions in the areas of transport, health, and water treatment.”
