– $345M budgeted
During 2010, the health sector prioritized training for its personnel, thereby continuously building the sector’s capacity to ensure services are effectively delivered, while providing added manpower for the delivery of additional services. This resulted in the entrance of more than 150 new health workers into the public health sector contributing to improved doctors and nurses’ populations.
Twenty-nine Cuban-trained Guyanese medical students entered the system as full practitioners.
To further advance training initiatives, $345M will be injected into training activities in 2011, providing for an additional 250 professional nurses and 140 clinical and technical staff being trained.         
Over 280 students in various health disciplines are currently in training across the various schools, including community health worker (CHW), the alternative medex programme, medex, pharmacy and rehabilitation assistant, audiological practitioner, medical laboratory and x-ray technician, environmental health assistant, dentex, community dental therapist, dental assistant, single trained/rural mid-wife, professional nurse, nurse assistant and refractionist.
One significant achievement in this area is the recent graduation of 120 health workers who have commenced delivering services in their respective regions. The batch includes 26 new medex, 26 pharmacy assistants, 24 environmental health assistants, 22 medical laboratory technicians, 11 dentex and 9 x-ray technicians.
The 2011 batch of medical trainees is scheduled to commence its programmes on March 1.
In addition, the Medex and CHW curriculum is expected to be revised and the programmes strengthened. 
Additionally, the New Amsterdam Nursing School graduated 78 registered nurses, nurse assistants and midwives. This achievement adds to the number of health care providers in and around Region Six, while ensuring there is an adequate workforce to effectively deliver services.
In an effort to continuously enhance nurses’ capacity, the Health Ministry has made available a postgraduate psychiatric programme and anaesthesiology training which will boost the sector’s surgical capacity.
The psychiatric programme was slated to commence in January 2011, and will be based at the New Amsterdam centre. Thus far, 10 nurses from Regions Six and Four have indicated their interest in pursuing the programme.
One ophthalmologist has returned from Bangladesh, while three other doctors will commence their training in Guatemala, specializing in refraction. 
The Health Ministry is also expected to send another batch of students to Cuba to receive medical training.    (GINA)