By Celestine Chacon
December 2, 2024
Eighty-two students have successfully graduated from the Ministry of Health’s Clinical and Technical Training program, marking a significant boost to Guyana’s healthcare sector.
The ceremony, held in the Atlantic Ballroom at Pegasus Suites, celebrated their transition into the country’s growing medical workforce.
The graduating cohort included 25 X-ray technicians, 28 Environmental Health Assistants, 16 Dentex practitioners, and 13 Pharmacy Assistants.
Notably, two graduates hailed from the Belize Defence Force, showcasing regional collaboration in healthcare training.
The Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, delivered the feature address, commending the graduates and encouraging them to view this achievement as the beginning of a lifelong journey in healthcare.
In presenting the program’s report, Health Education Officer Chandroutie Persaud-Bahadur detailed the impressive growth of the training initiatives.
She highlighted that the number of pharmacy assistants trained annually increased from 35 in previous years to 64 in 2024, with an additional 71 students projected to complete their training in early 2025.
This expansion will yield a total of 135 pharmacy assistants over two years.
Similarly, the Ministry has significantly increased training for other healthcare roles.
Medical lab technician training grew from 25 graduates annually to 86 in 2024, while the number of trained community health workers surged from 50 annually to 216 this year.
This new cadre of healthcare professionals arrives at a critical time, as six new hospitals are currently under construction across Guyana.
These facilities are part of the government’s broader initiative to enhance healthcare delivery nationwide.
The ceremony underscored the Ministry of Health’s commitment to strengthening the healthcare sector and equipping it to meet the demands of an expanding system.