Brazilian Patients Prefer Cuban Doctors, Says Health Minister

Brazilian Health Minister Ricardo Barros admitted that Brazilian patients prefer Cuban doctors in the More Doctors health program to national doctors, and he attributed this preference to their proven dedication to work.

Cuban doctors are at the population's disposal the whole day. They work from eight in the morning until six in the afternoon, including Saturdays and Sundays, and that is the differentiated treatment that makes the acceptance of the program More Doctors to reach 95 percent, the minister explained to the Municipal Chamber of Curitiba.

The website Ben Parana said Barros recalled that recently, the health ministry called Brazilian doctors to occupy 1,400 posts in the program and 8,700 applied.

However, he regretted that 600 of those that joined the program have already resigned, putting forward that there is huge amount of work.

Cuba joined the More Doctors health program in the year 2013, by request of Dilma Rousseff's Government and with participation by the Pan-American Health Organization.

Since then, around 11,400 Cuban doctors have been working in Brazil, rendering services in 3,356 municipalities and benefiting 40 million Brazilian citizens, especially the lowest-income families.