Thank you, Cuba - Jamaicans walking to celebrate medical personnel who have served locally

Come Tuesday morning, a group of Jamaicans will join hands and hearts to walk in gratitude, sending what organisers say is a message of hope and appreciation to Cuban medical doctors and the Cuban people.

This comes after the Jamaican Government's decision to cut ties with the long-standing medical cooperation programme earlier in March. The peaceful public walk, scheduled for between 9 a.m. and noon, is being organised by ordinary citizens who say they could not sit quietly as the medical programme ends after decades. Michael Ennis, one of the organisers, said the idea came from a simple question shared among a few friends.

"[We wondered], what can we do to show our appreciation and gratitude to the 50 years they've been here?" Ennis told THE STAR.

"It is our belief that maybe 90 per cent of Jamaicans have been touched by them, one way or the other." The Jamaican Government said it ended the programme after failing to agree to terms of a new deal, and not because of any influence from the US, who had expressed concerns in the programme.

The walk will begin on Sutton Street, travel through Hanover Street and East Street, and end at National Heroes Park. Participants who park at the park will be shuttled to the starting point.

"Come Tuesday, I can't say how many people are going show up, but I know it has been circulated widely, not by us so much ... we couldn't keep it under the radar. It was being circulated before we made the official announcement."

The first 100 participants will receive a T-shirt and a bottle of water, though walkers are also encouraged to carry their own. But the deeper purpose of the march goes beyond logistics.

"I think it was important for Jamaicans to show the Cuban people, given what they're going through now, it is important to show them that we appreciate them and all they have done for the Jamaican people over the years. It is the least I think we can do."

Since diplomatic relations were established in 1972, Cuba has sent hundreds of doctors, nurses and specialists to Jamaica, helping to fill critical gaps in the country's healthcare system. Their work has been especially visible in rural hospitals and clinics where shortages of specialised personnel have long challenged the health sector. Cuban doctors have also supported several programmes, including ophthalmology initiatives, cancer treatment support, and the widely known eye-care programme that helped thousands of Caribbean patients regain their sight. Just as significant has been Cuba's role in training Jamaican professionals. Hundreds of Jamaicans have studied medicine, dentistry and other specialised fields at Cuban universities under scholarship programmes. For many families, that training changed life trajectories.

Ennis said, even though he personally was never treated by Cuban doctors, their impact runs through his own social circle.

"My daughter is a graduate, a medical doctor, and I have a number of friends who are graduates from various Cuban specialisations, whether it be doctors, dentistry and other needed fields in Jamaica," he said.

"I know many persons who have personally been served by them and otherwise wouldn't have had the health they have now because of the Cuban doctors."

The announcement that the Cuban medical brigade would be leaving Jamaica hit Ennis hard.

"I felt sick, I'm still sick and there are tears because it will really impact Jamaicans because they helped a lot with treating Jamaicans and helping our health system," he said. According to Ennis, conversations with other Jamaicans suggest the sentiment is widespread.

"I haven't found one person who has a negative thing to say about how they were treated by the Cubans."

He opined that the growing interest in the march reflects that shared appreciation.

"I think the fact that this thing is organically circulating [means] people are in solidarity with the walk and they appreciate what we are trying to do. Maybe themselves cannot make it for the walk but they appreciate it."

If Cuban doctors who served Jamaica could hear the crowd, Ennis said his message would be simple.

"I want to tell them to have hope and that the people of Jamaica recognise them for serving us all these years. The Cuban people have been under this kind of pressure for many years and they are still here. I want them to have hope."