The Mexican press pointed out in the report that the entity that received the funds in Cuba manages different health-related businesses, among which is sending Cuban doctors to work in other countries or medical care for foreigners on the island.
DIARIO DE CUBA underlines that according to the journalistic investigation, the Mexican authorities paid more than 1.6 million dollars for just 172 scholarships for medical specialties students, out of some 40 million that Havana might have received if the 1,600 scholarships had materialized. initially planned for Mexican students.
Despite the controversy that arose in 2020, as a result of the first call for scholarships, the Mexican authorities decided to maintain the CONACYT program so that Mexican students might study 13 medical specialties on the island.
DIARIO DE CUBA highlights that according to the call, the Cuban Government will receive between 7,800 and 12,500 euros per month for each of the students, according to the specialty they are studying: pathological anatomy, general surgery, hygiene and epidemiology, medical genetics, geriatrics, rehabilitation medicine, intensive care medicine, internal medicine, pulmonology, ophthalmology, clinical pathology, psychiatry, and traumatology and orthopedics.
The scholarship award will also cover $500 annual medical insurance. The study time will be between three and four years, depending on the chosen specialty.
Candidates must be qualified doctors who have been selected in the National Examination of Applicants for Medical Residencies (ENARM) and CONACYT will be in charge of the final selection process. Upon accepting the scholarship, those chosen must commit to return to Mexico to work in the country’s institutions and hospital services.
DIARIO DE CUBA emphasizes that following the loss of several markets for its medical “missions,” especially in Latin America, Havana has sought other ways to earn resources through the commercialization of its health services.