PUBLIC Health Minister Dr. George Norton has instructed the Guyana Nursing Council to mark the examination papers of some 250 nursing students from both the public and private sectors who had sat the state examinations on October 18 and 19 last, but were told on November 11 that the General Nursing Council had decided to have them re-sit the examination.Dr. Norton’s directive, delivered recently in the form of a letter to the Guyana Nursing Council, follows a directive he had received from Cabinet.

The Nursing Council had announced that all students who had sat the examination would be required to re-sit it because of an allegation that the state examination papers were leaked to some of the nursing students; and its decision had resulted in nursing students of the Georgetown and New Amsterdam Schools of Nursing, the Charles Rosa School of Nursing in Linden, and the St Joseph Mercy Hospital protesting.

An investigation has, however, been launched by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Guyana Police Force (GPF); and Dr. Norton told the Guyana Chronicle last week that he is awaiting a briefing from the CID on its findings.

“The head of the CID (has) promised to keep me up to date on the enquiry. Meanwhile, I informed the Nurses’ Council to proceed in marking the papers and put on hold plans to (have students) re-sit the exam,” he explained.

Dr. Norton had, on November 16, told reporters that upon hearing of leaked state examination papers, he had launched an investigation and had summoned a meeting with the Chief Nursing Officer, who is also the Chairman of the Guyana Nursing Council; the Director of Health Sciences Programme, and the Principal Tutor of the Georgetown School of Nursing.

He disclosed that although he had requested information from them, the invited parties did not provide the Health Committee with the requisite information on the matter.

“I made every effort…but I could not get any information… No attempts were made to furnish (the nursing students) with the particulars as to how, where (and) when the (examination) was compromised. The nurses don’t know anything about it, and it is unfair for them to (have to) re-write the examination,” Dr. Norton had said.

The minister said the Public Health Ministry stands with the nurses, and he noted that given the nature of the situation, it can be concluded that the process was not as transparent as it should have been.

“Unless the Ministry is provided with facts or evidence to show the student nurses are at fault, we agree with the nurses’ (objections).”

Dr. Norton also said that the Nursing Council should have conducted a thorough investigation before calling on the students to re-sit the examination.

“We need nurses in the Public Health system,” said Dr. Norton, who described the situation as unfortunate.

Meanwhile, in a November 15 dispatch to the Registrar of the Guyana Nursing Council, which has been copied to Principal Tutor (acting) Cleopatra Barkoye of the Ministry of Public Health, Permanent Secretary Trevor Thomas and Dr. Norton, Attorney Anil Nandlall reminded the body that the nursing students are on a scholarship contract for three years, and that contract has expired on or about June 24, 2016.

“Currently, the Government of Guyana is in breach of this arrangement. In the circumstances, these students are demanding that their examination papers be marked and the results disclosed. I am to convey to you that, at this point in time, they are unprepared to sit another set of examinations,” the letter stated.

Nandlall, who is representing the interest of the students, called on the Ministry of Public Health and the Guyana Nursing Council to have the matter amicably resolved in order to avoid litigation.