By Indrawattie Natram

The Ministry of Health on Tuesday graduated 105 persons from the Patient Care Assistants (PCA) and Community Health Workers (CHW) programmes at the Suddie Healthcare Training Institute, marking a historic milestone in decentralised health education in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam).

The graduation ceremony, held in the auditorium of the Anna Regina Secondary School, was attended by Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony, Minister within the Ministry of Public Works Hon. Madanlall Ramraj, along with regional and health officials.

Of the total graduates, 46 completed the Patient Care Assistants programme, while 59 graduated from the Community Health Workers programme.

Creating Career Pathways

Delivering the feature address, Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony congratulated the graduates, noting that their hard work and dedication had paid off. He emphasised that the Ministry of Health is actively creating clear career pathways within the health sector, allowing individuals to advance to higher professional levels.

Dr Anthony explained that the Ministry now offers hybrid programmes, enabling students to complete theoretical components online while gaining practical experience within their communities. He disclosed that close to 800 persons are currently being trained as registered nurses, many of whom are able to study without leaving their homes.

“The Ministry is providing the learning environment and continuous medical education. Once the opportunities are there, persons must take advantage of them,” he urged.