A politician points out that “cases of abandonment continue to multiply” among the group of 370 health workers from the island deployed in Calabria.
14ymedio, Madrid, 25 July 2025 / The political opposition in Calabria, Italy has lashed out against the regional government for hiring Cuban doctors after a local newspaper, La Nuova Calabria, reported that at least five Cuban physicians had left the public hospitals where they had been working. This week, Ernesto Alecci, a council member from the opposition Democratic Party, formally asked Governor Roberto Occhiuto of Forza Italia (the right-wing party founded by Silvio Berlusconi), to clarify the entire cooperative healthcare arrangement the region has with Cuba.
Alecci cited the case of a Cuban orthopedist who recently left his job at the Jazzolino Hospital in the town of Vibo Valentia for a position at Villa dei Gerani, a private clinic. “Just the tip of the iceberg” is how the Calabrian media outlet that reported the story described the incident. “This new case of job-hopping is one of many. In addition to those who have left for the private sector, there are others who have gone on vacation and never returned, those who preferred the Spanish healthcare system and those who simply disappeared.” said Alleci, who claims that “the numbers do not seem to be adding up.”
He points out that in its 2022 agreement with Calabria, the Cuban state-owned company Comercializadora de Servicios Médicos S.A. agreed to provide the region with 497 doctors. However, as of May there were only about 370 on duty, “with cases of quitting continuing to multiply.” This led Alecci to submit his letter to the regional government. “I am trying to determine how many Cuban doctors are still working in Calabria, how many have left, what controls have been put in place to monitor the program’s progress, and whether there are plans to review the terms of the contract, which provides for a gross salary of approximately €4,700, of which only €1,200 is goes to the doctor,” he said, referring to the conditions of the Cuban healthcare workers, who are accredited by international organizations such as Archivo Cuba, Prisoners Defenders, and Human Rights Watch.
“Given the circumstances, it is worth asking if this form of cooperation adequately benefits the Cuban doctors
“Given the circumstances, it is worth asking if this form of cooperation adequately benefits the Cuban doctors serving in our hospitals,” he says. “If we care about public health, we must do more than simply ’import’ doctors. We must make them feel part of a program in which they are on par with their Italian colleagues.” To Alecci it makes sense that , upon arriving in Calabria, some health workers “realize they can find better opportunities elsewhere.”
The former president of the Calabrian Regional Council, Domenico Tallini (a member of the same party as Occhiuto), also questioned the governor’s agreement with Cuba. In La Nuova Calabria he writes that the reported “escape” of two specialists from Vibo Valentia— one of them the aforementioned the orthopedist—”only raises doubts about the contractual arrangements put forward by various international associations, under which the Caribbean doctors hired by President Occhiuto receive only a fraction of the enormous sums the region of Calabria is paying. The rest ends up in the pockets of the regime in Havana.”
Hence the request for “a sincere word” with the governor, asking him to explain to the people of Calabria where the resources allocated to the Cuban operation are going.” Tallini asks, “Why did the two Cuban doctors working in Vibo Valentia choose other career options?” Was it because the thought of handing over the bulk of their income to Havana became intolerable?” He notes that President Occhiuto chose not to respond.”
However, the newspaper Sierra Maestra, a “friendly Italian-Cuban association,” did respond. It expressed surprise that a former official such as Tallini would have access to “sensitive data that should be held exclusively by the Regional Health Department” and that he would be demanding explanations about the procedures carried out by Cuban doctors instead of “concerning himself with with dignity of their compatriots.”
In a “careful reading” of the figures, the Sierra Maestra article raises some issues: “If Cuban doctors only participate in medical activities — for example, the 7,103 surgical interventions mentioned — it means that they are simply helping their Italian colleagues. In such a case, the region of Calabria is paying a considerable amount of money to cover the salaries of Cuban doctors, who are simply relieving the workload of Italian doctors. Only the Ministry of Health can clarify this crucial aspect to determine whether the contract with Cuban doctors was a good investment.”
According to La C, a local Calabrian media outlet, at least three other physicians have left their posts in addition to the two in Vibo Valentia. They had been working in the areas of Cosenza, Corigliano Rossano, Cetraro and Paola. “There has been no news of them and no one has seen them return to work for months. The other members of the team deployed to Corigliano Rossano are living quietly in a prominent hotel in the center of town and can often be seen walking towards the nearby Hospital Giannettasio,” La C reported.
The article reveals, however, another possible though prohibited reason for one doctor’s disappearance: marriage
The article reveals, however, another possible though prohibited reason for one doctor’s disappearance: marriage. It claims his colleagues were even invited to the wedding. “Such a union might prevent him from ever returning to Cuba,” the La C report concludes.
La C cites an in-depth investigation by the independent, Miami-based news site CubaNet, which reported on June 27, 2024 how Havana had flouted Calabrian law by “finding ways to make withholding of 71% of professionals’ salaries and other forced labor practices look legal.”
Rather than scaling back, Calabrian officials seem proud of their agreement with Cuba. Last April, they even attended the 5th International Cuba-Health 2025 Convention, where they reiterated their desire to “deepen bilateral collaboration.”
“The Cuban healthcare model, with its focus on primary care and prevention, is similar to ours and has been essential for guaranteeing service in remote areas,” said Francesco Lucia, director of Prevention and Public Health in Calabria. The region first imported Cuban doctors in 2023 due to a personnel shortage.
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