–as part of the Ministry of Public Telecommunications’ internet access expansion plan

To ensure nurses in training can continue their studies during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, the Ministries of Public Telecommunications and Public Health have partnered to provide them with E-tablets.

Speaking on NCN’s Independence Forum, Minister of Public Telecommunications Hon. Catherine Hughes said that the move will help to produce more robust nurses to help Guyana’s health system. Stating that the Public Telecomm8unications Ministry was ahead of the curve in the last few years, Minister Hughes reminded that over 170 communities received internet access for the first time in the last five years. This is in keeping with the Sustainable Development Goals that outline internet access as a basic human right.

Minister Hughes also noted that Guyana has increased its ranking moving from a 37 percent internet penetration rate to 51 percent. “That is reflective of the thrust of the Government… access to the internet is very important for development, for learning, for health, telemedicine, for entrepreneurial activities.” The Ministry of Public Telecommunications is also looking into improving connectivity for families and students who are now working and learning from home.

The Ministry is looking into ways to provide and improve online learning through smart classrooms. “We want to ensure that more students at home can connect to these services. We are not where we want to be. We need to make sure that more families can have more internet connectivity,” Minister Hughes added.