THE disclosure that large batches of foreign doctors and nurses will soon be arriving in Trinidad and Tobago to work in the medical sector underscores the challenge facing most, if not all, Caricom countries-a serious shortage of such urgently needed professionals.

Ironically, it is small and poor Cuba, still suffering from the enormous consequences of almost half a century of the US economic blockade, that continues to maintain a high profile in assistance with medical personnel and facilities to the region.

It’s not surprising, therefore, to know that the Cuban medical presence will be significant among the 119 foreign doctors and 450 nurses coming to work in various hospitals and clinics in Trinidad and Tobago, while the Government moves ahead with its training programmes to ease the pressure for improved services.

Interestingly, the recruitment of doctors and nurses and plans to expand training programmes are taking place amid political claims of discrimination in the employment and promotion of locally qualified doctors.

It is a development said to be among the factors contributing to the exodus of skilled personnel. Such allegations have met with firm official denials.

The reality is that ` a variety of reasons, among them higher pay and promises of better opportunities and living conditions, have made a success of organised enticements by North America and Europe generating the brain drain that afflicts poor and developing nations, like our region, in virtually every category.

According to data revealed by Caricom’s Assistant Secretary General, Dr Edward Greene, this region has lost some 50,000 doctors, nurses and teachers over the past 11 years to North America, Britain and other foreign countries.

Dr Greene, who has responsibility for Human and Social Development at the Caricom Secretariat, in referring to research findings of 2006, disclosed that accompanying the exodus of professionals was the drain on the public purse for money invested in training nurses and teachers in particular, with migrating nurses alone accounting for approximately US$2.02 million.

How do we plug this outflow of nurses, doctors, teachers and other professionals?

It is not enough, however, to learn of the ’concerns’’ of governments, agencies and institutions over the exodus of skilled nationals from every Caricom country. We need to know of specific policies and programmes being pursued at a regional level to arrest this predicament.

What, for instance, is the plan to attract skills lost to the USA, Canada and the UK?

Those who are cynical about Caricom’s commitment to deal with this problem want to know if Caricom has done any research to ascertain the various skills located among the West Indian diaspora, starting with the USA and Canada.

As far as I can recollect Caricom functions without a regional skills data bank and, consequently, remains in a difficult position as it tries to tap potential available skills at home and in the diaspora for projects in the health, education and other development sectors.

Some experienced professionals feel that new census-taking approaches could prove useful in identifying available skills that could contribute to the compilation of a regional data bank for mobilising human resources to curb the brain drain that benefits the rich and deepens the region’s agony over the loss of needed professionals.

Such a project will take time to get off the ground. What appears urgent, in the thinking of some regional technocrats and government officials, is for Caricom to embark on an emergency programme to recruit doctors, nurses and teachers, plus other skills in very short supply.

Funding for this project could be sought from the World Bank and/or the Inter American Development Bank. It is a matter that could also be discussed at the summit later this year between President Barack Obama and Caricom leaders, in the context of plans by the region to arrest the brain drain that’s contributing to our poverty.

After all, as the Caricom Secretariat’s Edward Greene had alerted us over two years ago, the US Department of Health and Human Services itself is expecting a shortfall of approximately 800,000 of its nursing needs by 2020 (not to mention the situation with teachers). It will, therefore, be on the watch for skilled foreign recruits.