More Cuban health workers coming to Guyana this year

Last Updated on Tuesday, 16 January 2024, 17:53 by Denis Chabrol

Guyana plans to ask Cuba to send more health workers here, even as government is poised to invest heavily in training facilities to counter the adverse impact of migration of nurses to other countries, according to Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh.

“Our nation continues to be challenged by competition for the services of our healthcare professionals, especially nurses, from foreign countries in 2023,” he said.

He told the National Assembly in his 2024 National Budget that government projects an increase in the number of Cuban Medical Brigade workers to 500 in 2024.  Last year, there were 192 Cuban Medical Brigade workers.

Demerara Waves Online News was told that Cuban health care workers would include doctors, nurses and technicians.

The People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) administration also hopes to counter the severe shortage of nurses by “investing heavily in the training of health science professionals including nurses.  In addition to Cuban health workers, the Finance Minister said government would this year invest GY$1.4 billion in the construction of two health science training facilities at New Amsterdam and Suddie.

Dr Singh said that in 2023, there was an intake of over 2,000 students to the medical services programmes, and in 2024 a cohort of over 3,500 students is projected, of which approximately 2,000 relate to persons enrolled in the nursing programmes.