Cuban medical doctors honoured after completing two-year stint
The Ministry of Health on Monday evening honoured 11 Cuban medical doctors for their two years of service to Guyana’s health sector, and for the knowledge and guidance they have imparted to the country’s health providers in the fight to better the health care system.
Speaking at the appreciation ceremony which was held at the Sleepin International hotel last evening, Minister of Health Dr. Bheri Ramsaran expressed heartfelt appreciation on behalf of the Government of Guyana for Cuba’s continued support to the local health sector.
“This team served us well,” he said, “and has contributed in the struggle to improve health care in Guyana.” He urged the team to be ambassadors for Guyana and relate some of the developments and struggles in Guyana’s health sector, when they return to their country. This, he said will help to strengthen the links between the two countries.
Minister Ramsaran mentioned the hundreds of new doctors who have returned to Guyana after completing studies in Cuba. “This has also added to the sector… our job now is to manage those doctors, we need now to think of their future progression,” he added.
Cuba has over the years been assisting Guyana by deploying doctors, nurses and technicians to assist in health care delivery. Additionally they have extended the contract for biomedical engineers and the minister is asking for an extension for the doctors and nurses.
Minister of Health Dr, Bheri Ramsaran, (centre back row) Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Health, Joe Hamilton, (blue shirt) Cuban Ambassador to Guyana Raul Gortazar Marrero (next to the Minister), Regional Health Services Director Dr. Irv Chan ( right back row) and Cuban doctors at the appreciation ceremony
The Minister said that already Cuba has made some offers and has indicated that it will be sending a small technical team from the Ministries of Health and Education in Cuba to examine the possibilities of starting a post- graduate programme in Guyana.
He said that Government will be looking forward to this initiative because it is needed to add to the skills base to ensure quality health service.
Guyana has already constituted small programmes in areas such as general surgery, orthopaedic and paediatric, among others and these are being supported by other universities.
Prior to an agreement between former President Bharrat Jagdeo and Cuban President Dr. Fidel Castro in 2006 that expanded the programme of cooperation between Guyana and Cuba in the medical field, a Cuban medical brigade of 40 to 60 offered expertise including at the institutional level.
Subsequent to the 2006 agreement, Cuba expanded the brigade with 20 additional doctors some of whom were dispatched to areas like Rosignol in Region Five and Kamarang, Region Seven where there had been a need for resident doctors.
With technical support from Cuban engineers and builders, the four diagnostic and treatment centres and an ophthalmology centre were built, and Cuban specialists assigned to them while Guyanese pursuing scholarship studies in medicine return from Cuba to take over.
The specialists manning the centres at that time totalled about 200, comprising doctors, nurses, technicians and health administrators. Guyana at that time had few doctors, most of whom were graduate level doctors and depended heavily on foreign countries including Cuba.
