As the number of coronavirus cases continues to escalate in Florida, state Senator Annette Taddeo (D-Miami) on Monday urged Governor Ron DeSantis to follow New York’s lead and ease current restrictions on foreign graduates of medical schools already in Florida to aid in the state’s emergency response.
“As the numbers of infected Floridians continues to skyrocket, our front-line medical professionals and medical facilities need more help,” wrote Senator Taddeo in a letter to Governor DeSantis sent Monday.
“Governor [Andrew] Cuomo, through multiple executive orders, has temporarily modified the rules and regulations to allow for more medical professionals to help against the COVID-19 crisis. One of Governor Cuomo’s executive orders includes a provision to temporarily allow graduates of foreign medical schools having at least one year of graduate medical education to provide patient care in hospitals.”
According to Senator Taddeo, multiple trained medical professionals have been reaching out to her, offering their expertise to help in the spreading Covid-19 pandemic in Florida, but the licensing procedure has prevented their participation. Governor Cuomo’s order, by contrast, allows unlicensed graduates of foreign medical schools who have completed at least one year of graduate medical education to provide patient care in hospitals.
“Now is the time to let them help,” she wrote. “I strongly urge you to take immediate action to allow them to help during this crisis.”
A copy of Governor Cuomo’s executive order can be found here: https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/no-20210-continuing-temporary-suspension-and-modification-laws-relating-disaster-emergency
