A wider network of well-staffed hospitals can now be enjoyed by Guyanese

– Dr Ramsaran credits massive training programme

The visionary thinking and major investments for the transformation being witnessed in the health sector has been credited by Government Member of Parliament (MP) and a former health minister, Dr Bheri Ramsaran.

Dr Ramsaran, in his contribution to the 2023 National Budget debate in the National Assembly, noted that like his colleague MPs said this year’s fiscal package sets a strong foundation for the future.

The MP said that, in preparation for the six new hospitals that will be established, the government, through the health ministry formulated a strategic plan to train medical personnel to be stationed at the health facilities across the country.

Dr Ramsaran in emphasising the significant benefits for Guyanese, stated that, “Mainly it is for our people who will be enjoying now, a wider network of hospitals that are modern and not only that but are well- staffed.”

“Because of the number of doctors that we now have, you can send some of them out into the field to identify certain health threats before they become a threat,” the MP disclosed.

He noted that through the massive training programme, some 1,000 doctors were trained.

“If we did not do that, we could not have been able to populate the new hospitals that we spread right across the country… it was vision,” he said.

The 2023 budget also caters for the upgrading of the nursing school.

“There is a massive programme of training going on for the past few years … When we took over many decades ago, you would have about 30 nurses in any one programme, now its massive to such an extent that we had to add to the East Street Nursing school,” Dr. Ramsaran stressed.

Guyana’s health sector offers a wide range of career opportunities to budding health workers. Government has been working to modernise the way education is delivered in the sector by placing theoretical nursing courses online.

This initiative, he said will be accessible to both private and public health facilities to provide and generate more training opportunities.

It was disclosed that the ministry has partnered with several prestigious universities such as McMasters Canada and York University to offer post- graduate training for doctors, who completed medical school and earned their residency.

The training is being administered at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation through the faculty of Schulich School at the University of York and offers a wide array of courses in 12 to 14 programmes.

These and other initiatives are part of a wider strategic plan by the Irfaan Ali-led Administration to build a world-class health system.