Minister Concerned: Care Packages to J’can Med Students in Cuba Delayed

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Kamina Johnson Smith has expressed disappointment over delays in care packages sent to Jamaican medical students in Cuba.

Despite efforts to achieve timely delivery, the packages are now weeks late. Foreign Affairs Minister Senator Kamina Johnson Smith says the customs broker in Cuba on Thursday, confirmed that by early next week, the several care packages sent for Jamaican medical students in Cuba would be released for distribution.

Changes she says both the parents and students affected were notified of on December 6 after weeks of delays spurred on by what the Minister describes as a tedious and disappointing process.

She says the care packages mixed with personal items arrived in Cuba on November 2, but are yet to be distributed to the students by the Cuban authorities.

She says the items are crucial not only for students but have medical equipment and supplies that were donated to the Cuban government.

Minister Johnson-Smith notes the clearance of the shipment is outside the control of the local foreign ministry.