HEALTH AUTHORITIES are working to bring to Guyana a change in the sector which will see improved delivery of quality services through competency training in the various areas of health.

Addressing the commencement of another nurses training programme yesterday, at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, Health Minister Dr. Leslie Ramsammy noted that this is another step by government to ensure people are given the opportunity of living healthier lives.

“In taking up any challenge, much time and energy is needed and it doesn’t happen overnight; a lot of work will have to be done to complete any task successfully,” Ramsammy told the nurses in training.

He said that this will mark the beginning of a milestone for Guyana which is expected to bring a rapid turnaround in the delivery of services.

He said while the figures of nurses to patients in hospitals here are commendable, quality and satisfaction will never be defined if efforts aren’t made to show competency.

“We need a certain number of persons to deliver healthcare, so the significance of these statements should never be underestimated or undervalued”

However, figures are not always the issue with health care works; it’s the type of services being provided that matters the most.

“Around the world, a survey shows that in most developing countries, the figures of nurses to patients is three and a half to five, while in Guyana, there are 12 nurses to 14 patients, which is exceptional for a developing country,” he pointed out.

Even though there is a high ratio of nurses to patients in Guyana, training programmes will always be initiated so as to have our health care competencies improving, he said.

He noted that often health workers are incapable of dealing with certain cases, and this is mainly because they are not working to their level of production.

“What we should do is qualify ourselves better so we can tackle anything that comes our way and deal with it efficiently,” Ramsammy said.

In addition, he said that post graduate training will be initiated.