Ministry of Public Health Launches Clinical and Technical training programmes
(From left) Nursing and Midwifery Education consultant to the ministry of Public Health, Mandy La fleur; Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence; Director of Health Sciences, Seraiah Validum, Clinical and Regional Health Coordinator, Carolyn Hicks; Adviser to the Minister of Public Health, John Adams
(From left) Nursing and Midwifery Education consultant to the ministry of Public Health, Mandy La fleur; Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence; Director of Health Sciences, Seraiah Validum, Clinical and Regional Health Coordinator, Carolyn Hicks; Adviser to the Minister of Public Health, John Adams

-aims for equity in the medical facilities across Guyana

“OUR dream is that persons residing here in Guyana would be the healthiest not only in Caribbean but in the Americas and you will help us to achieve that, and this programme, you being a part of this training programme, is so significant in helping us achieve that goal,” Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence said in addressing the one-hundred-and-forty-seven (147) young men and women from the ten administrative regions across the country who commenced training in five allied health professions of Pharmacy, Environmental Health, Medical Lab Technology, Audiological practices, and X-Ray technology.

A section of the students who will be part of the medical training

Speaking at the commencement ceremony of the Clinical and Technical Programmes at the Georgetown School of Nursing Annex on Monday, Minister Lawrence stated that the ministry of public health’s main aim is to ensure equity in the medical facilities across the country. She said that the ministry aims to ensure that the citizens of Guyana do not have to make extremely long trips, while being sick, to have access to basic services. Hence, this batch of practitioners commencing training is the first step in ensuring that all of the medical facilities are able to have access to multiple practitioners who specialize in the varying disciplines.

A section of the students who will be part of the medical training

Minister Lawrence emphasised the necessity for persons skilled in these varying areas to be placed in the medical facilities outside of the coastland areas; explaining that the ministry expends some $500,000 every time there is an emergency and someone needs to be airlifted from the hinterland to the coastland facility.

The Ministry of Public Health proposes to place skilled persons in these hinterland communities so that it can redirect those funds towards the purchase of its own aircraft, which would be used in case of medical emergencies.

She further reminded the students of the importance of having a healthy population, saying, “If we don’t keep our population healthy, then we cannot take charge of our economy. If people are not well, they cannot go to work, they cannot go to the farms, they cannot produce, and so we will not be well off economically at all.”

Minister Lawrence said the government is pleased to initiate such a training opportunity for young persons as it demonstrates that every effort is being made to address the human resources gap in the public health sector.

At the end of the programme, the Medical System is set to see 43 new persons trained in Pharmacology, 30 Environmental Health Assistants, 22 X-ray Technicians, 40 Medical Lab Technicians, and 12 Audiological Practitioners.

According to Health Education Officer of the Ministry of Public Health, Kim Fraser-Bristol, this is the largest intake since the ministry introduced clinical and technical training programmes in 2007.

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