In response to the delay in the start of the Ministry of Health’s new training initiative, Mr. Noel Holder, Director of Health Sciences Education, explained that due to the recent fire at the ministry, the programme’s starting time was deferred.

However, despite the setbacks, the Health Sciences Education Director asserted that the clinical and technical programmes will commence in September.

The venture being undertaken by the Ministry of Health is being done through a $700M budget.

For the purpose of continued training and development of human resources, the Ministry invited applications from persons interested in becoming, among other things, pharmacy and rehabilitation assistants, audiological practitioners, medical laboratory and x-ray technicians, community dental therapists and environmental health workers.

According to Holder, applications came in from across the country and luckily these were not affected by the fire, as they were kept at the Ministry of Health’s Liliendaal annex.

Holder stated that the selection of candidates for the programme was done based on the needs of the administrative regions and the ministry has already begun contacting persons selected.

The response to the programme was overwhelming, and only about one third of those who applied will be accepted.

“We have limited placements as each course could only cater for 20 to 25 persons, except for the pharmacy assistant and audiological practitioners which could take on 10 to 15 persons,” Holder explained.

Those persons who have been selected will receive instructions in their different disciplines which are to be run for periods of 12, 18, 24 and 36 months, free of cost.

Programmes will be conducted at:

* The Ministry of Health annex in Liliendaal;

* The Dental School;

* The Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC); and

* The National Commission on Disability (NCD) on Croal Street.

Additionally, all successful applicants will be required to undertake a core course.

This will cover anatomy, physics, chemistry, information technology and management, before branching off to respective disciplines.

Those who complete the course will be contracted to the Government.

The Health Sciences Education Director highlighted that apart from the current training programme, persons already qualified have avenues available to them that would allow them to further qualify through post graduate programmes accredited by the University of Guyana (UG).

Holder pointed out that there are several areas where those qualified can further their studies, since, in addition to the post graduate surgery and the orthopedic programmes there is the post graduate anesthetic programme.

He added, too, that for those who have not been selected, their applications will be considered next year