After training experience…
THE Health Ministry Centre of Excellence, for post graduate training of doctors and nurses, at Project Dawn, Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara, concluded another course on Wednesday.
It involved nursing staff  in the accident and emergency field from Region Two (Pomeroon/Supenaam) and Georgetown, who were tutored for two days on reduction of trauma cases usually seen at public health care facilities, with major focus on neurological patients, cardiology and pharmacology.
Chief Executive Officer of Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), Mr. Michael Khan said the programme is in line with moves to enhance capacity.
He added that plans are in the pipeline for the future and expressed gratitude to the facilitator, overseas based Guyanese Mr. Rowland Ramdass, Assistant Professor at Farmingdale State College and a senior practicing nurse at New York Presbyterian Hospital, both in the United States (U.S.), who is undertaking the task free of cost.
Ramdass is also studying to become a doctor and, in an invited comment, he said the response from the nurses in training has been positive.
“They are happy with the information. It is information they can take to the patients, to the bedside and it will better help them identify conditions,” he said.
Ramdass said the experienced nurses were updated and new nurses reinforced and the process was enriched by the presence of five recently graduated nursing students from Farmingdale State College.
He said the exchanges, particularly involvimg two different cultures, were  enlightening for both parties.
Ramdass said the five spent some time on Monday at the GPH and in the classroom with nurses being trained.
One of the group, Mr. John Cerami acknowledged that the health care system in Guyana is very different.
“It was a culture shock and interesting to see how everything works here. It is all very different from what we are used to,” he admitted.
The experience was enlightening and he lauded the efforts of local nurses, stating that it also made clear how much is taken for granted and how well Guyana manages with limited resources.
Another of the visitors, Mr. Neal Deluna said: “It is amazing how Guyanese health workers concentrate, intellectually, compared to the resources they have.”
He said the team will be taking back the different points of view which can be incorporated in future.
The others in the visiting group are Ms. Christina Vilby, Ms. Kaitlin Smith and Ms. Tia Judson