The twenty-nine Cuban-trained doctors who recently returned to their homeland have been accepted by the Public Service Ministry to begin their medical stints from October 4 at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and the Mahaicony Hospital, respectively.
This addition to the health sector’s human resource capacity ensures that adequate health services are provided throughout the nation at the various health facilities.
These sentiments were highlighted by Minister within the Ministry of Health, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran, at a meeting with the new doctors.
He received a letter from the Public Service Ministry last week, indicating that the doctors will be inducted into the work force.
The meeting provided the opportunity for the doctors to begin filling up the required documents before assuming their positions. This speeds up the process for the doctors to be added to the payroll.
He added that this is important since there are still some health workers in the system who are providing services and have not yet received salaries. These include part-time staff at the Diamond Diagnostic centre.
Five of the doctors will be stationed at the Mahaicony hospital, where the Health Ministry intends to build the Guyanese presence and work along with the Cuban contingent.
The others will be stationed at the GPHC and will be rotated to receive exposure in numerous medical fields, before being dispatched to facilities in the regions. It is hoped that this experience at the GPHC will provide the doctors with guidance and experience of working at a major health facility.
Chief Medical Officer, Shamdeo Persaud  pointed out that when the doctors resume their positions at the hospitals, they will be able to translate theory into action.
It is expected that the doctors will become aware of the principles,  maternal health regulations, and will be able to address chronic illnesses, among others, when they leave the GPHC to take up their positions in the district facilities.
Over the past few weeks, the Ministry of Health has been engaging these doctors in continuous medical studies, where they were exposed to training in conducting X-rays, ultra-sounds, the use of endoscopy, the non-evasive method of observation and diagnosis, emergency obstetrics and gynaecology. (GINA)