A Bachelor of Science degree in Respiratory Care has been introduced in the University of Guyana (UG) curriculum, a Department of Public Information (DPI) release said yesterday.
The programme, which was developed in a record time of 11 months, is a collaboration between the Ministry of Health, UG, and the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). It will serve to expand the country’s academic offerings in healthcare and reinforce the government’s commitment to preparing future medical professionals to make a difference in the sector, the release said.
It was also noted that this will make Guyana the first country in the Caribbean to have conceptualised such an initiative in its healthcare education system.
The launch took place at Herdmanston Lodge, Queenstown, Georgetown, on Wednesday evening, where Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony, emphasised the programme’s importance, especially considering Guyana’s lack of preparedness when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Moreover, he noted the importance of incorporating a programme such as this into Guyana’s health system, particularly in light of the long-term health issues that were a consequence of COVID-19.
“This then became a natural thing to do; we just needed to get a course like this so [that] we can train professionals and have them in the system. And that’s one of the reasons why this was expedited,” the health minister stated.
He also spoke of the government’s vision of a modern healthcare system and efforts to position Guyana as a a hub for medical training, hence the investment in institutions and the development of programmes such as these.
“That’s something we’re working on…The investments we’re making [in these] tertiary centres…But what we need is the teaching staff and that is the area that we will have to work on,” he acknowledged.
Dr Anthony commended all those stakeholders whose contributions helped bring the programme to life.
Medical doctor at Georgetown Public Hospital and the key driving force behind the programme, Dr Waleema Bacchus-Ali, remarked that “Guyana will be the first in the Caribbean and one of just a few developing countries to offer a respiratory [degree] programme…[Guyana] is taking a huge step towards achieving the vision articulated by President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali many times.”
Also delivering remarks, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Dr Emanuel Cummings, said the university is privileged to have been chosen as the premier institution mandated to deliver on the programme.
Now that it is formally launched, the next step will be to source individuals who will be trained as Respiratory Therapists, to respond effectively to future global health challenges.
