A $13M contract was sealed yesterday that will facilitate expansion of the Georgetown School of Nursing to cater for the large intake of nurse trainees.
The sum will facilitate enhancement to the sanitary block, laboratories, library, and classrooms. Students will have additional space to pursue their studies. Signing for the Health Ministry was its Permanent Secretary, Hydar Ally, while Vishal P. Prashad signed for the company awarded the contract, VP Construction. The project will last for 14 weeks and work is expected to commence in two weeks.
In 2010, $13.3B was allocated to the sector, of which $1.4 billion was set aside to facilitate the construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of health facilities countrywide.
Additionally, $300M was allocated for human resource development. An additional 500 persons in the nursing programme and in various other health disciplines will be trained.
Over the years, Guyanese youths have been sent to Cuba for medical training, following which they are dispatched to the various health facilities within the Regions.
Health care providers and persons from the Regions also receive training to become community health workers, dentex, nurses, mid-wives and medex, through the Ministry of Health.
The provision of additional health care providers and the rehabilitation of health facilities within the Regions are expected to ease the burden on the major health facilities, and encourage people to utilise the services provided at the health centres.
To continuously increase the number of health care providers, recruitment is being done at the regional level. (GINA)