MoPH to embark on new initiative to train 100 nurses per batch
[youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxVw6h_x58g” width=”100%” height=”315″]
─ response to 1,000 nurses’ deficit
DPI, Guyana, Tuesday, September 4, 2018
The Ministry of Public Health is about to introduce a programme that will facilitate the training of one hundred (100) nurses per batch. This is according to Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence.
Speaking to the media on Monday, September 4, 2018, Minister Lawrence said that there is much being undertaken by the ministry to address the deficiency of nurses in the healthcare system.
“Instead of just training thirty persons, we are about to roll out a programme where we are going to be training one hundred persons. We have to do that in order to ensure that we can first fulfil our requirements and we need about 1000 nurses in the system.”
With these additional nurses being trained and equipped, the public health system is expected to operate more efficiently. While the ministry looks at the option of training more nurses, the minister invited retired nurses who have worked locally and abroad to come on board and be a part of improving health care in Guyana.
In addressing the continuous migration of skilled medical professionals, particularly nurses, the minister said that this is a challenge not only unique to Guyana.
“Migration is not only a Guyana issue, we have signed on to CSME [ Caribbean Single Market and Economy] and that gives the right to any person, any Caribbean person to move from one country to the next to be able to ply their trade or earn in their profession; it is no different from Guyana. We will continue to see migration not only in nursing, not only in midwifery but in many other skilled areas this has been a complaint right up WHO by the lesser developed countries.”
Minister Lawrence also highlighted that while there is a great need for additional nurses in the system, the Public Health Minister is also cognisant of the need for other skilled professionals to work in the health sector.
By: Delicia Haynes.
Images: Jules Gibson and Jameel Mohamed.