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Georgetown, Guyana: On Friday, April 15, the Ministry of Health launched its first biomedical programme at the National Racquet Centre in Woolford Avenue, Georgetown.
As per the update, the programme, which is a partnership between the Ministry of Public Service, Medical Aid International and the Ministry of Health, will see thirty-nine participants from various regions across Guyana being trained as biomedical technicians and engineers who will provide Biomedical Support at the Ministry’s new and improved hospitals that are being developed.
These participants were provided with individualised kits which included a laptop, tool kits, manuals, textbooks, tools, learning aids and protective wear in preparation for their studies. Biomedical Support is a vital component of the efficient clinical management of patients in any hospital setting and requires a 24-hour support team.
During his feature address, Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony, noted that biomedical technicians and engineers are very important, especially since healthcare technologies are evolving so rapidly.
The update has also informed that he explained that it has been difficult in the past to dispatch technicians from Georgetown to the regions to undertake maintenance, especially since they are very few of them; hence this current batch of participants have chosen from various other administrative regions.
“If something goes wrong in one of the regions, you have to wait until somebody from Georgetown gets out into the region to try to help to fix some of these things, and it doesn’t take hours; it would take weeks and months for somebody to be able to get out there”, Dr Anthony revealed.
Additionally, the Minister said that participants who successfully complete the programme are expected to return to their respective regions to be employed at the regional health facilities. In closing, Dr Anthony extended his best wishes to the participants and encouraged them to become ambassadors for the next batch of students.
“Study and make sure you make the best of this opportunity because not every day we get a chance like this, and we’re making it available, and we hope that you do well so you can inspire the next cohort of students that will be coming”, he emphasised.
Meanwhile, Advisor to Health Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy, expressed his gratitude towards the President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, Dr Mohammed Irfaan Ali, the Minister of Health and the team at Medical Aid Int’l for their immediate response to the programme and raising resources to bring it to this stage of launch. He also stated that this programme is considered one of the significant steps forward as the Ministry tries to improve health in this country and advocates for the participants to take the opportunity that is being provided.
“We are not just given the opportunity, but we are given the honour and privilege to serve people in the greatest moment of need, and we should not embark just because it’s a job but because in health care it’s a mission” – Dr Ramsammy stated.
The Ministry of Health further stated that while reflecting on the transformation the health sector has undergone, Dr Ramsammy highlighted that Guyana’s health sector can now perform open heart surgery, transplant and other health services with the use of technology.
In addition, Programme Director from Medical Aid Int’l, Tim Beacon, who was also present via Google Meet, underscored that the programme would be taught the virtual (online) method and would consist of 74 modules. He stated that participants would be required to complete multiple-choice questions at the end of each module and are allowed to take it more than once; however, the questions will be different each time they are taken.
“Now, these are over 15 units in a wide variety of subjects, and each of those units has multiple choice questions at the end, and you can take this as many times as you like, but you have to get 100% to move on to the next unit. Now, just to make sure that you’re learning properly, each time that you take the multiple choice questions section, you will find that the question and answer have changed”, Beacon explained.
In addition, Beacon stated that at the end of the programme, the participants would receive a certificate in Biomedical Engineering, and that certificate would be recognised globally. Further, the Head of Academic Research & Engineering Development at Medical Aid noted that the curriculum is self-paced, allowing students to learn at their own pace and on their own time.
Also present at yesterday’s launch was the Director of Standards and Technical Services, Dr Julian Amsterdam; the Biomedical Technician attached to GPHC, Teanna Bagot; among other staff from the Biomedical Department of the Georgetown Public Hospital Cooperation (GPHC) and Medical Aid Int’l.
