WITHIN the next month, the Health Ministry would be deploying an additional 181 Cuban-trained doctors into the health sector to augment the 70 Cuban-trained Guyanese doctors who recently graduated in Guyana. This new batch would be joining their colleagues after they complete the orientation and training session that has been introduced by the Ministry of Health.

The doctors at the opening of the orientation and training programme

As he delivered the feature address to open the three-day orientation and training programme for new medical graduates, yesterday at the Guyana International Conference Centre (GICC), Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown, Health Minister, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran made this disclosure, declared that the relationship between the Governments of Guyana and Cuba have come a long way, and said the health sector has both capacity and infrastructure to improve the health status of the country.
The graduates’ orientation includes a general induction that entails review of policies and programmes; services of the Health Ministry; and training in completion of all medical records, as per the laws of Guyana. The graduates are also to be exposed to the principles of working within the public service.
Additional training will include Advances in Labour and Risk Management (ALARM), to be done in batches of 60; Basic Life Support (BLS); Advanced Life Support (ALS), and Pediatric Life Support (PLS).
ALARM training has already begun at the Convention Centre of the Ocean View Hotel at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown. Yesterday’s session saw presentations from Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr Shamdeo Persaud on the health systems of Guyana – legal and administrative. Dr. Monica Odwin, Director of Regional Health Services, enlightened the doctors on health situations; whilst Permanent Secretary of the Health Ministry, Mr. Leslie Cadogan, spoke on regional and clinical health services.
Dr. Maria Del Caremn, Head of the Cuban Brigade, also gave brief remarks, in which she noted that the Cuban Medical Sector will continue to assist Guyana in any way possible. She deemed it a pleasure to be working with the recently graduated doctors, and said that despite their “ups and downs”, they all managed to graduate.