–with ramped up training since 2020, Health Minister says

THE Government of Guyana has added over 2,000 healthcare professionals to the country’s health system since 2020.
This was according to Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony during his end-of-year press conference on Tuesday.

The minister said that the addition of more persons to the system is expected to continue, as training programmes for all levels of healthcare professionals continue to be ramped up.
“One of the big challenges that we have in the health sector, as you know, is with personnel. And since we came to office, we have been able to train at least 2,079 medical professionals in different regions of our country,” he said.
These persons, Dr. Anthony said, have all come on to the ministry’s payroll and have been performing.

However, looking ahead, Dr. Anthony stated that in 2025, they intend to graduate another 3,050 persons in different specialties.
While this is so, he added that there are currently another 3,740 persons in training, even as there is an intention to take in another 3,000 persons in various programmes.
He said: “We have to facilitate training; we have been decentralising the training, so, in all regions, we now have decentralised programmes.”

Meanwhile, to aid in the training of these professionals, the Health Minister noted that simulation centres have been added to cater for persons who receive their theoretical training Online, so as to have their practical training.
Thus far, some nine simulation centres have been constructed and operationalised across the country. The only region yet to have one of those centres is Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni); however, there are plans in place to have one there by early 2025.
In addition to this, the minister highlighted that work has been ongoing with international partners to enhance training for healthcare professionals.

One such partnership, he highlighted, was one funded by the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), which sees professors from the University of São Paulo in Brazil coming to Guyana and working with the training team to roll out the hybrid nursing programme.
“Through this collaboration, we have been able to expand nursing training and that’s why we have so many nurses currently in training,” he said.

Another programme he spoke about is one in collaboration with McMaster University in Canada, and this would facilitate at least 30 doctors being able to pursue fellowship training at the institution.
Currently, he disclosed, five doctors are undergoing training through this programme.
There are also fellowship training with Northwell Health and another collaboration with York University in Canada.