NINE persons graduated on Wednesday as Advanced Emergency Medical Technicians after undergoing an eight-month training exercise.

According to a press release, the training commenced on February 19, 2020, as a collaborative effort between the Guyana Fire Service (GFS), the National Emergency Medical Services, and the Ministry of Health.

The exercise was facilitated by Dr Shannon Langston and Andrea Fletcher, a registered nurse of Vanderbilt University, and involved Zoom classes for the theoretical aspect, while the practical aspect was conducted at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation’s Emergency Room and Maternity Unit.

It was aimed at improving the quality of service offered by the EMS, as these technicians will now be able to administer medications to persons before they reach the hospital, potentially saving lives on the scene, the GFS release said.

Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, congratulated the graduates and advised that they exercise empathy and be mindful of the level of service that is expected of them. He encouraged them to make better use of the resources available in today’s modern world to administer better care.

Minister Benn said the government will continue to support the EMS and ensure that technicians are well trained in order to achieve the goal of having ambulances in all regions. He further admonished the graduates to develop a professional culture, be disciplined, and make their country proud.

Meanwhile, Chief Fire Officer (ag), Gregory Wickham, thanked the government and Ministry of Home Affairs for their continuous support and expressed that the next move will be to extend the emergency medical services to Region Three.

He also congratulated the ranks and charged them to provide a service with confidence.

Nandaram Dat and Cleveland King were the best graduating students. The other graduates were Orletta Crandon, Nioka Deyounge, Kelvin James, Klein Knights, Andrew Patterson, Bhumika Sookdeo, and Sandor Walcott.