CUBAN nurses are in fear for their lives following two separate burglaries at their living quarters on the compound of the Port of Spain General Hospital.

The Express spoke with the Cuban coordinator of doctors and two nurses, who confirmed that last Friday evening, one of their colleagues returned to her fourth-floor apartment from a night shift and discovered that numerous items she had bought to send back to her family in Cuba had been stolen.

These included Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) televisions, mobile phones and appliances.

The terrified nurse also found a sheet and blade lying on top of a barrel in her apartment. A police report was made and officers visited the apartment complex, where they dusted for prints.

Then, on Tuesday evening, thieves broke into another apartment on the first floor of the building, taking shoes, a bank card, money and appliances. The occupant was not at home at the time of the burglary.

The Express understands that in previous years, there have also been one-off incidents of burglaries at the apartment complex.

The majority of nurses who were staying at the nurses' living quarters have returned to their home in Cuba in recent months, but a handful of nurses will remain in the apartment building until their contracts expire next month.

A new batch of Cuban health workers arrived in Trinidad last week. Many of them are expected to take up residence in the very same apartment building.

The nurses staying there at present say the issue of security must be addressed urgently.

"Something needs to be done to make us feel secure. We sacrifice and leave our families back home to come here for work, so we want to feel safe," said one nurse.

Since the break-ins, the nurses say they are unable to sleep and are in constant fear for their lives.

They say they are counting down the days until they return home, while some have said fervently they will never return to Trinidad.

"What would have happened to me if I came home while someone was in my apartment? I could have been killed. I could never tell my mother what has happened. She can't know about this. She is old and would be concerned for my safety. She would want me to leave and come home immediately," said one nurse, who asked to remain anonymous.

Aside from missing burglar proofing, on the adjoining verandah of each apartment, there are no additional security features such as alarms or close-circuit television cameras. For safety, the Cuban nurses must rely on security guards.

These guards, in turn, should be held accountable, said Health Minister Fuad Khan, when contacted for a response. When the Express spoke with Khan, he said he had not received word about the burglaries.

"We must reassess the security and put cameras on the compound that will pick up these culprits," said Khan.

"Everybody should be guaranteed safety at our hospitals. A lot of money, in fact millions of dollars are spent contracting security firms to guard the hospitals and they are supposed to do their job, so the security firm should discipline its workers. I blame poor security for the incidents," said Khan.

"I would hate for this to cause a souring of relationships between their country and ours," he added.

Up to press time, attempts to contact Cuban Ambassador Humberto Rivero Rosario for comment were unsuccessful.