EIGHTEEN more students have graduated as medical doctors after completing seven years of studies under the Guyana-Cuba scholarship programme.

The medical doctors who started their training as students seven years ago, spent the first six years in Cuba and did one year of internship training at the Suddie Hospital on their return to Guyana.

The 18 students who graduated as medical doctors are Delana Alissa Hicks, Joeanna Romena Harris, Kennel Allison Fingal, Kirtis Steve Noble, Kojo Omotayo, Natasha Andrea Barton, Renita Albert, Susannah Natasha Issacs, Gerald Anthony Thompson, Chandrawattie Bissoon, Haimant Haimraj, Ivor Carlton Semple, Junita Holmes, Marlee Wilson, Razia Fazana Kasim, Sarrojanie Doodnauth, Rose Mc Garrel and Thameshwar Kharan.

Meanwhile, Region 2 Chairman Devanand Ramdatt who delivered the feature address at the graduation ceremony in the boardroom of the Suddie Hospital last Thursday, thanked the Cuban Government as well as the former PPP/C government for giving the students the opportunity to be trained in Cuba as medical doctors.
The Chairman said the occasion marks an achievement for the country and communities.
And quoting Mahatma Gandhi, the Chairman said “Be the change you want to be in the world”.
He called on the newly-graduated doctors to serve well and to listen to patients very carefully. The Chairman also called on the doctors to take a proactive approach to address public health and to reach out at the community level in a structured programme.

He said the sacrifices made by the young doctors must be recognised and he encouraged them to work with dedication because the people’s health is the country’s wealth.
Ramdatt, on behalf of the Region 2 Regional Democratic Council and the Government of Guyana, thanked the Cuban Government for training the doctors.
He also called for the friendship between Guyana and Cuba to be sustained and strengthened.
NEW BEGINNING

Giving the charge to the doctors, Dr Regla Segundo said it was a new beginning and called on them to study more. She said the students did well in their studies and achieved some 89% in passes.
Dr Dhanraj Ramnanand who chaired the programme said the relationship between Guyana and Cuba is very good. He said healthcare in Guyana is moving at a fast pace and advised that if Guyanese can learn from Cuba they will make Guyana a better country.

At the graduation ceremony last week, several parents and relatives attended and witnessed the handing over of certificates to the new doctors.
One parent Kharan, known as ‘Jack Horner’ of Queenstown Village said he was extremely happy and proud to see his son graduate as a medical doctor. He said he was very thankful to the Cuban Government and the former Government.
His wife Pulmattie said she was very proud of her eldest son’s achievement and also thanked former President Bharrat Jagdeo for making the opportunity available for her son to go to Cuba and study on a scholarship. She said it was a lot of sacrifice but it paid off in the end.
Another parent who was present with her relatives to witness her son’s graduation as a medical doctor said she was very happy and thankful to the former PPP/C Government for giving her son the opportunity to study in Cuba.
She expressed her thanks to the Cuban President and doctors who trained her son to become a medical doctor.
The mother, Nandranie Chandrawattie, of Fairfield, Essequibo Coast said it was a lot of hard work to support her son while he studied in Cuba but now she is happy that he has graduated as a medical doctor.
Also at the graduation ceremony was Cuban Director Dr Midatis Otero Fernandez. The national anthems of Guyana and Cuba were sung at the start of the graduation ceremony.

By Rajendra Prabhulall