MEDICAL DIPLOMACY

This newsletter took a long time to write. I always avoid getting too personal on the internet but as Dr. Kiona reminds me, this is a space for truth and real stories. So, this is a real-life story of how Cuban and other foreign doctors saved my life.

Firstly, let me introduce myself. Officially, I’m Robin, Reroot’s Trips Coordinator/Social Media Manager/Accountant/Web Manager/Whatever else needs done. I was born, raised and still live in Trinidad and Tobago - the birthplace of steel pan and calypso. The Caribbean that most people consider a bucket list vacation destination is my home. I’m proud to be Trinbagonian and even more so to be West Indian (not “a Caribbean”).

In November 2009, I was in a car accident. The impact of the collision almost threw me through the front windshield but somehow I was able to walk away from the wreck alive and without any internal injuries. As I stood at the side of the road looking at my car, blood streaming from my face soaking into my shirt I felt a wave of panic come over me. I could not see on my left side. The impact of my head shattering the windshield gave me a gash across my face from my right eyebrow to my left ear and shards of glass had pierced my left eye. Two weeks before the accident was my 23rd birthday. This definitely wasn’t the way I wanted to start a new chapter of my life but, honestly, it’s not that bad. If you saw the wreck, I definitely got off easy even though at the time, it didn’t feel like it. The immediate events after the crash is the only reason I’m able to live a normal life without major physical or mental complications today.

At the emergency room of the Port of Spain General Hospital a team of nurses cleaned my wounds and quickly stopped the bleeding so that a doctor could examine the damage. A tall man with a thick African accent and giant hands entered and began examining the left side of my face. I could see from his facial expressions as he probed my injuries that things did not look good. Finally after an eternity of prodding he gave his assessment:

“We have to remove your eye completely”

I was in shock. He we on to carefully explain the extent of the damage and advised that the longer I waited to make a decision, the higher the risk for infection would be. I had to make a decision right there. He spoke with a kind, apologetic and reassuring tone while outlining the process I was about to endure. It was impossible to hold back the tears while he spoke. You don’t realize at 23 how much you pretend to be an adult until real-life adult sh*t happens to you. It was hard to handle mentally and emotionally, especially as I was still grieving the loss of my mother a month prior.

This stranger sat with me while I cried and assured me the medical team on hand would take good care of me and, while it would be a big adjustment, I’d be able to carry on a normal life. He didn’t have to do that. It was 4am and I’m sure he was exhausted having to service a busy emergency center but he showed me kindness that I will never forget.

Two days later I was on an operating table having my left eye removed, the gashes to my face and head stitched up and skin grafts applied to my nose by two separate surgeons before spending about 7 days in the hospital under observation. Reflecting on my time in that bed it’s remarkable that I didn’t have a psychotic break. I give a lot of credit to my ability to hold it together to the team of nurses in charge of my ward.

The group of local and spanish-speaking, foreign nurses made sure I was always comfortable and in high spirits. They all lamented that such a tragic accident happened to “someone so young” but always kept an upbeat outlook. I was constantly reminded that I’m alive, I had no brain or other internal injuries and I had a lot of people in my life that loved me. I don’t think they knew how much they were actually helping me through one of the worst periods of my life or that I would remember their faces clearly when I think about them today. I remember they never let me feel alone day or night as I lay in bed with tubes in both my arms wondering what my life would be. They sat with me, shared stories, cried with me, prayed for me and gave me the strength and belief that I can overcome this tragedy.

That’s not something you experience often from dealing with our healthcare system. As with most countries, doctors and nurses are often overworked, underpaid and constantly in a state of exhaustion. Nobody takes the time or has the time to sit with you, learn your story or cheer you up. At least not in my country. I left the hospital thinking about how lucky I was to have such a great team taking care of me.

I spent the next 6 months in and out of the hospital for periodic checks by my doctors. The frequent visits allowed me to visit the nurses who helped me during my recovery and I was surprised to learn so many of them were Cuban. I later learned that in 2009, Trinidad and Tobago entered an agreement with the Cuban government to employ an envoy of doctors and nurses to support our healthcare system. Since then, our long history of medical diplomacy has seen Trinbagonian students study medicine in Cuba and citizens including high profile politicians travel to Cuba for medical procedures. Cuban doctors and nurses also come to Trinidad and Tobago to learn English at our University while augmenting our healthcare system. This is all normal to us and most of the other Caribbean islands and plays a huge role in our ability to treat our citizens effectively. Additionally, without the help of Cuba and their medical brigade during the COVID 19 pandemic and other natural disasters, the healthcare system of many Caribbean nations would have collapsed. The truth is, without those Cuban nurses attending to me and relieving the pressure on our strained healthcare system, I may not have been here today. Now, sixteen years later, I feel compelled to defend the program and people who saved my life.

The latest claim by the Trump administration that nations employing Cuban doctors are engaging in Human Trafficking is a shameful lie. These are not undocumented immigrants picking strawberries for less than minimum wage. Cuban doctors are paid at or above the market salaries while they work within our respective healthcare systems. There are long standing agreements between CARICOM countries and Cuba to ensure the program creates a fair stream of revenue for Cuban doctors and nurses, as well as the Cuban economy that would have otherwise been blocked because of the U.S-imposed trade embargo. Countries not only pay the Cuban government for these medical envoys but also send goods and supplies such as food and petroleum products that support the Cuban economy and people. We are not the ones destroying economies, funding wars and undermining governments. The Caribbean and other countries who support Cuba aren’t the ones creating a humanitarian crisis.

As the U.S. continues to wage war against Cuba, they’ve upped their scare tactics by threatening sanctions on nations who employ Cuban medical professionals in an attempt to bully us into further isolating the island. However, Trump has strongly underestimated the strength of West Indians. Yes, we are small and vulnerable…but not weak. Our strength comes from our willingness to work together. We’ve battled global recessions, catastrophic natural disasters, pandemics and many other threats to our lives and livelihood together remaining strong and unwavered. So naturally, when the U.S. made their claims about Cuba, our leaders stood up in their defense. Even as the U.S. threatens to revoke their diplomatic VISAS, leaders from Barbados, St. Vincent, Trinidad & Tobago and other countries have openly voiced their support for Cuba stating they’d rather give up their VISAS than bow to these threats to West Indian sovereignty. The truth is, this is nothing new to us.

The U.S. and UK governments as well as major foreign corporations have been throwing their weight around in the Caribbean for decades using their political and economic influence to make smaller economies like ours bend to their will. Our trade policies, economic development and free movement are all heavily influenced by their decisions but as our development progresses, our leaders have begun to take a stand against exploitation by powerhouse nations as well as multinational companies that prey on our economies.

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has openly supported Cuba’s sovereignty and repeatedly called on the U.S. to end the unjust blockade. As recently as 2024, the UN General Assembly also renewed its call for the end of the U.S. embargo on Cuba with a vote of its 190 members ending 187 voting FOR the end 2 voting AGAINST and 1 abstaining. The votes against: U.S. and Israel. Even as Trump continues his trade war with the world by imposing tariffs at will and revoking OFAC licenses, we stand together unified with Cuba.

I always compare being West Indian to being part of a huge family. It’s not easy and a lot of times we fight but we always come together to support our brothers and sisters. Even if it means taking a few hits, we stand together because we are stronger together. We’ve made it through years of natural disasters, global recessions, pandemics and helped each other rebuild by standing TOGERHER.

Today and always, I stand with my family. I stand with Cuba.

Come support our stand against the unjust treatment of the Cuba. Our Cuban educational tours directly support the people of Cuba who have spent over 60years being victimized by U.S. policies. Book your spot on a tour in 2025 and make a real-life difference with us TOGETHER!