Cuban maxillofacial surgeon Rodel Simon He had to resume his medical career when he arrived in Quebec in 2013 and realized that an immigrant's path to stability and prosperity is never easy.
In statements by L Hispanophone Magazinewhich reviews the lives of Hispanics in Canada, the doctor said that he had a job offer in Cuba that would make him one of the best in his specialty, but the situation on the island and the salary restrictions forced him to rethink his future career.
He says that before immigrating, he discussed with his teachers that he would not be able to secure the minimum necessary for his family with the salary he was offered for this position.
And then he decided to start Immigration process To Canada, he left his wife and son on the island.
“I started my life from scratch. I had to learn French and do different jobs to survive,” Simon explained.
After nearly eight years of living in that country, he decided to join it School of medicine And start your career.
In 2021, he was accepted to the University of Sherbrooke, where he is currently studying through the Saguenay Medicine Program.
Although his chances of acceptance were between 60 and 70%, he says he decided to take the risk and was accepted as a student.
The doctor, a native of Havana, currently lives in Gatineau, a city in southwestern Quebec.
His family had to wait four years to join him in Canada.
crisis Health system in Cuba Things have gotten even worse since 2013, when Simon left.
In 2022 alone more than 12,000 doctors on the island have left the public health systemIn light of the widespread and worrying crisis that the health system is suffering from, which has forced many doctors to abandon their profession.
Figures released by the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI) for the public health and social assistance sectors for the year in question indicate that the decline in staff numbers has been generalized in health and that the number of compliant residents has now risen to one doctor.
At the end of 2022, there were 94,066 doctors on the island, while in 2021 there were 106,131, that is, 12,065 fewer.
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