– jobs guaranteed after successful completion

A NEW programme launched by the Ministry of Health (MoH), in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Service and Medical Aid International, will see Guyanese completing a three- to six-month online and self-paced course, equipping them with the necessary knowledge and skills to fix health equipment.

Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, at the launch ceremony at the National Racquet Centre, expressed the dire need in the health sector for biomedical technicians and engineers.

Thirty-nine persons in the first cohort were selected from the different regions of Guyana to be a part of the programme.

The Health Minister related that jobs are guaranteed for them after the successful completion of the programme and urged the participants to ensure that they have maintenance plans for the equipment in their respective hospitals.

This is to cut down on time taken to service and fix equipment.

Additionally, some participants received kits that included a manual covering the range of things they are expected to know by the end of the training, a laptop, and other instruments.

With new infrastructure and equipment being brought in, the minister said they need biomedical technicians in each place.

He said they would start with essential equipment, but once they get the knack for it, they will be trained to service more advanced equipment entering Guyana’s health system.

Additionally, Adviser to the Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, said they could only provide the high-quality care they hope to attain if Guyana has its own biomedical engineers.

“This is a country where when the Minister and I joined the sector, we could not do a simple test like HP… in our country today, we are doing open heart surgery and transplants,” he related.

Ramsammy stated that, without technology today, the health sector would not be able to deliver the quality of healthcare desired. However, one major issue faced relates to equipment occupying space at hospitals, not used because few have the knowledge and skill to fix it.

“Sometimes a simple thing like a fuse — a very expensive piece of equipment — has been sitting at GPHC for three years because we couldn’t figure it out, but that is about to change,” he said.

Meanwhile, Emily Spessert, Head of Academic Research and Engineering Development at Medical Aid International, said that the programme is designed to provide the students with the knowledge and skills needed to excel in biomedical engineering.

“You can design, develop and maintain the medical equipment that is critical to deliver quality healthcare,” she said.