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Health Minister Dr. Bheri Ramsaran said it was time to applaud the “Special twenty-one” as he described them. “You are the icing on the cake,” he declared, even as he recognised the contributions of the parents and medical trainers — several of whom were in attendance — towards helping to make the now fully certified doctors’ success possible.
The minister noted that contrary to reports emanating from some media houses, all of the new doctors have been tested and certified by the Guyana Medical Board. They had previously completed as many as seven years of medical training in Cuba.
The Health Minister noted that another batch of Cuban-trained Guyanese doctors was undergoing Advanced Learning and Assistance Module Management Classes (ALARM) training, and he said this was one example of Government’s commitment to ensuring that medical personnel were able to continuously upgrade their skills. “One hundred other doctors are also undergoing Advanced Life Support Module Training, this is one of the many programmes that we do that is internationally recognised”, he declared.
Minister Ramsaran added that the journey does not stop with graduation, as medical personnel must strive to keep educating and improving themselves. He therefore urged the new doctors to have a passion for research. “Project and promote the local research agenda in the local medical field. Be torchbearers,” he urged.
The governments of Guyana and Cuba have expended a lot of resources on this health programme, he reminded the graduates, and he said the Guyana Government recognises the need to have “non financial incentives” to continue attracting doctors to remain with the Health Ministry to serve their country.
Some of incentives considered include duty-free concessions and house lots. He also mentioned several post-graduate programmes from which the doctors who wish to specialise could benefit.
Dr Ramsaran reminded the new doctors of the need to serve with high standards wherever they may be posted, as they were trained to serve all Guyanese. “Be good doctors. Think outside the box, and engage the surrounding communities”, he admonished them.
He also reminded parents that their children were now young adults with a great vision in life to serve the rest of the population.
Head of the Cuban Medical Brigade, Dr Maria del Carmen, in brief remarks, congratulated the doctors and urged them to uphold the high standards instilled during their training. She advised them to learn from those who went before them, and to serve their country, which needs them.
Best graduating doctor Keridesh Persaud, reminiscing on her years of study, said, “For myself and most of my colleagues, those seven years went by with sleepless nights of studying human anatomy, living with persons of various cultures and upbringings. Despite the difficulties, we still look back with fond memories and fun times in true nature of our well rounded selves”.
Dr Persaud added that the new doctors’ achievements would not have been possible without the support of their parents, their professors, and those whom they have left behind in Cuba. “Our success is your success; for you have given us the courage, the knowledge to excel, the belief that we can succeed, and the self-confidence to achieve our dreams.”
Hundreds of Cuban-trained Guyanese doctors have, over the years, returned to Guyana after completing studies in Cuba in an effort to provide personnel to man the many new health institutions built by the Government.
