TWELVE of the 30 Cuban health workers who arrived in the island this week have been assigned to the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA).

The team, consisting of eight doctors and four specialist nurses, will be deployed to health facilities in the parishes of Kingston and St Andrew and St Thomas.

“SERHA provides health care services to approximately half of the population and so we welcome the additional manpower. We have no doubt that they will enhance our ability to meet the demands of the patients we serve,” said Dr Andrei Cooke, SERHA board chairman. “The team will provide services in specialty areas such as pathology, dentistry, primary care, oncology, neonatology and mental health.”

Dr Cooke said the health workers have begun a three-day orientation, which the region has customised to ensure that they are able to effectively function in the health facilities where they have been assigned.

“This orientation is geared towards assisting the team to adjust to working in a different cultural setting and so they are being introduced to certain aspects of the Jamaican culture such as the food, language, dance and folklore,” Dr Cooke explained. “One of the

key components of

the orientation is strengthening the communication skills of the health workers, because we recognise that there may be communication gaps,” he said.

In addition, Dr Cooke said the team will be briefed about the technical services offered in the region, which represents their core responsibilities as it relates to patient care. They will also undergo three months of in-service technical training in the health facilities where they have been placed.