The Ministry of Health said the 20 newly-trained doctors and a pharmacist who have just completed studies in Cuba will be doing their internship at the Georgetown Public Hospital and the New Amsterdam Hospital before being dispatched to the regions to serve.
According to Government Information Agency (GINA), doctors Mark Ramar and Dwayne Kellman and Pharmacist Stacy James are among a larger group of 21 professionals, two of whom received their training in Russia.
Minister of Health Dr Bheri Ramsaran said youths can access training to become doctors via the Cuba and Russian scholarship programmes and at the GPHC. He also noted that there is need for more doctors with specialised skills; however, they must serve for at least two and a half to three years before they can pursue higher training.
Ramsaran said government is proud of the new doctors’ success and now expects them to provide care for the public, augmenting the skills of other doctors who graduated in the previous years.
Acting Director of Regional Health Service Dr Irv Chan, who also trained in Cuba, noted that the doctors are now at a point in their lives where they can practise what they have learnt. Meanwhile, in his presentation, Chief Medical Officer Dr Shamdeo Persaud spoke on various aspects of the health sector, including laws, reporting of deaths, the national health authority, health partnerships, legislation and the goals of the sector.
Last month, Minister of Public Service Dr Jennifer Westford told the National Assembly that 69 Guyanese medical students are expected back this year to do their internships at seven faculties located in regions, two, three, four, five and six which are manned by Cuban specialists. The Cuban Scholarship Programme started in 2002 when the Cuban Government offered Guyana 350 scholarships. It was extended in 2006 when then President Bharrat Jagdeo and Cuba’s President Castro signed the agreement for a further 965 scholarships over the period 2006 to 2010, GINA said.
