Local doctors to commence residency programme in Internal Medicine and Infectious Disease -through US funded programme
The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation’s (GPHC’s) Institute of Health Science Education (IHSC) and the University of Guyana (UG) today launched the Masters in Internal Medicine and Infectious Disease Residency Programme at the Hospital’s Resource Center.
This programme is being conducted in collaboration with the University Of Maryland School f Medicine through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and with support from the Center of Disease Control (CDC).
The first batch of seven includes Cuban trained doctors, as well as graduates from UG. They are: Dr. Haimchand Barran, Dr. Terrence Haynes, Dr. Ramdeo Jainarine, Dr. Kumarie Jaipersaud, Dr. Kishore Ramdass, Dr. Kamela Bemaul-Sukhu and Dr. Grace Waldron-White.
Minister of Health, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran delivering his remarks at the launch of the Residency Programme in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases
This programme follows on the development of post-graduate education at the GPHC in affiliation with UG which was initiated since 2006. It was supported by a new five-year grant from the CDC under the PEPFAR initiative.
This three-year programme was designed by educators from the University of Maryland Institute Of Human Virology, the IHSE, GPHC and UG and is accredited by the latter.
Minister of Health, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran in his remarks acknowledged the significant benefits that Guyana has derived from PEPFAR, which remains one of the main contributors to Guyana’s efforts in combating HIV/AIDS.
He said that one of the concerns of the Administration is the retention of highly skilled professionals and said that this move is a bold step that will go a far way in ensuring continuity and sustainability of medical expertise.
He also disclosed that Government is devising strategies to see how best it can assist in funding some of these programmes in an effort to keep skilled professionals in the public health sector, but more importantly to improve the delivery of quality healthcare services.
Meanwhile, US Ambassador, Brent Hardt said that one of PEPFAR’s goals to be realised in its 2009-2013 programmes, is to support training for at least 140,000 healthcare workers worldwide.
“To achieve this goal, the CDC and the Global Aids Programme in Guyana have established a cooperative agreement with the University of Maryland to build local institutional capacity to provide high quality education and training to medical students, post-graduate residents, and practicing physicians,” Ambassador Hardt said.
Apart from supporting the development of the Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases curriculum, the Residency Programme will also offer revisions to the infectious disease component of the undergraduate curriculum for medical students. It will provide the most current information and best practices on HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases.
The first batch of doctors who are enrolled in the residency programme
Director of the IHSE, Dr. Madan Rambaran pointed out that post-graduate education is one of the major achievements that will see tremendous positive spin offs in the health sector.
Meanwhile, Dr. Bruce Gilliam from the University of Maryland who is the director of the programme said that during implementation of the PEPFAR programme in 2004 it was realised that there was insufficient personnel to reach out to all the areas. This led to the decision to provide the necessary medical expertise via programmes such as these.
Director of Medical and Professional Services, Sheik Amir, said that in many countries this step might seem small, but in Guyana it is a giant one that requires a lot of hard work and commitment from a lot of people.
“Residency programmes strive on academia; academia stimulates the mind through reading and research, which eventually change the culture and the quality of care that we will deliver,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of UG, Dean of the Health Sciences Faculty, Dr, Emmanuel Cummings said that the university is currently in discussions with regards to the establishment of a graduate school, which will see the expansion of graduate education.
The project’s sustainability will be reinforced through the creation of a detailed strategy for fully transitioning the programme to the IHSE and UG’s Health Sciences Faculty at the end of the five-year grant.
