THE Davis Memorial Hospital, on Sunday graduated 13 students from its Foundation Health Care (FHC) programme who were charged by Junior Minister of Public Health Karen Cummings to be professional in their practice.

This is the 17th batch of graduates to emerge from the course, which aims to produce multi-faceted workers who possess basic health care knowledge, skills and attitudes to perform competently at a foundation level.
Delivering the main address, Cummings said that as Guyana experiences the greatest transformation of the public healthcare delivery sector, every health worker must adapt and operate at the highest of standards.

She urged the graduates as they manoeuvre the course of their profession, to learn from mistakes, maintain high self-expectations and develop excellent communication skills as they assist the most vulnerable in society. “Always strive to convert the signs and the art of being an exemplary healthcare professional into a life-changing legacy for generations to come. Preserve the best values of the esteemed medical profession that will cause you to inspire others.

“Today, we all stand at the precipice of the future; it is no longer a distant thing for one to reach at some point. The future is here, it starts now, it starts with you,” she said.
Speaking about the work of the government, Dr Cummings said that the health ministry continues to pursue several programmes which aim to strengthen the public health system, providing equal access to all.

These efforts form a part of the ministry’s vision to provide universal access to superior health care by the year 2020. With this in mind, the minister remarked: “Every health worker, every medical professional, must align his or her work ethic and professionalism with the direction in which the ministry is heading…You will need to be patient, caring, sensitive and professional at all times…I urge you to ground yourselves in your passion and do not allow anything to distract you.”

Meanwhile, words of advice and encouragement came from Chief Nursing Officer of the Ministry of Public Health, Tarmattie Barker and representative of the Guyana Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists, Pastor Hugh McKenzie. Receiving special tokens were: Best Graduating Student, Simonica Fanfair; Second Best Graduating Student, Kanata Williams and the Most Improved Student, Orwin Noel.

The one-year FHC course is endorsed by the Ministry of Public Health, the University of Guyana and is recognised by the National Accreditation Council of Guyana. Students study in the areas of medical laboratory, dental care, radiography, anatomy, physiology, occupational safety and health, mental health, information technology and much more. Meanwhile, practical attachments are completed at the Georgetown Public Hospital Complex (GPHC), the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital and the Davis Memorial Hospital.