Dear Editor,
“Health is Wealth” will never be a cliché, and the People’s Progressive Party/Civic is more than ensuring that this axiom is the living reality of all Guyana. Proving my point is easy, and so I gladly revise that, during the Budget 2024 debate, our Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony, did expound “…that the health sector (was) on the verge of (a) healthcare revolution.”
At the time, the Health Minister rightfully boasted that, “With an allocation of $129.8B in Budget 2024, the PPP Government is walking the talk of this revolutionary, transformative health agenda.”
So, Editor, I am not surprised, and in fact am well pleased, that just recently, “434 nursing professionals graduate(d) from the Georgetown School of Nursing (GNS).” The details make for good consumption, as these healthcare professionals received certificates and diplomas in various fields, representing the largest batch of students to graduate from the GNS. The lot comprised 201 Registered Nurses (RN), 36 Post-Basic Midwives, 26 Single Trained Midwives, and 171 Nursing Assistants.
Congratulations! The achievement is very stupendous for both the students and the PPP/C Government; and, overall, this is a good fillip for the health sector.
Now, contextualising this boost in the local health status in Guyana, I refer to the National Library of Medicine, where it is outlined that the health sector globally is not where it should be, as “the ‘crisis in human resources’ herein has been described as one of the most pressing global health issues of our time.”
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “…the world faces a global shortage of almost 4.3 million doctors, midwives, nurses, and other healthcare professionals…and (as we all know) a global undersupply of these threatens the quality and sustainability of health systems worldwide.”
For sure, then, the Health Ministry is well-informed and has a good ‘Plan of Action.’ And by the way, the plan still has more in the near offing, as was portended in Budget 2024: cardiology diagnostic and treatment services slated for GPHC; infrastructure and personnel for large-scale maternal and paediatric care; additional construction of a Level 5 hospital in New Amsterdam, and a third advanced cardiology centre for heart disease diagnosis and intervention etc.
During the graduation exercise, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) at the Health Ministry, Dr Narine Singh, highlighted that, up to 2020, Guyana was producing just over 200 nurses, but a significant increase is now the reality. The reason is the investments made by the Government via the healthcare sector over the years. The CMO detailed that, “At one time, Guyana was only turning out around 250 nurses, and that was not adequate, we needed to expand the nurses training programme, and so we only had three schools at that time. Today we have the training programme in several regions.”
That is why I would iterate a million times that the health outlook in Guyana is quite promising; and yes, challenges will always be there. Still, the requisite foresight will ensure, as the CMO pointed out, that “We have a task to train at least 3000 nurses within the next three (3) years, taking into consideration the migration that we all experience; (and) this is not unique to Guyana, as most of the Caribbean countries are experiencing migration”.
Editor, time and space would not permit me to elaborate on something that was well brought out at the graduation; that is, the accompanying attitude of health care professionals. (In a nutshell, though), it was impressed upon the graduates that they also have a responsibility to comfort these patients during these challenging moments. Why?
It is that “nursing is not just a profession…it’s a calling, it’s a path that requires not only knowledge and technical skills…it is more than administering treatment or following protocols. It’s about showing compassion, offering comfort, listening with a deep sense of empathy, and becoming a beacon of hope during some of the most challenging moments in people’s lives.”
Hopefully, the non-medical/ psychological/mental aspects of Medicare would be very evident in this new era, as the Government continues to invest in the nation’s well-being.
Yours truly,
Hargesh B Singh
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