Cuban specialists to provide training in rehabilitative medicine

Last Updated on Thursday, 16 April 2015, 10:30 by GxMedia

Guyana is expected to deliver training to persons in the medical field from around the region in the area of rehabilitative medicine, according to the Government Information Agency (GINA).

During a technical meeting today at the Ministry of Health, Minister Bheri Ramsaran stated that this would be done under the Cooperation and Technical Assistance Agreement among the CARICOM Secretariat, Ministry of Education of the Republic of Cuba and the Ministry of Health of Guyana, for the setting up of the Development Stimulating Centre, for children, adolescents, and young people, with special educational needs associated with disabilities.

The major component of the project would be Cuba’s sending of five specialists to work in the Centre to train Guyanese, and other Caribbean nationals to become better deliverers of rehabilitative medicine, with the option of moving on to a tertiary level course for this training programme.

The project has its genesis at a December 2009 Cuba/CARICOM meeting where Cuba decided to offer further technical assistance in the area of health. This was in the area of rehabilitative medicine, dealing with disabilities and how Cuba can share this with CARICOM countries.

The country has offered its skills, expertise and competence which the CARICOM Heads of States, with Guyana being chosen to be the focal point. Guyana will provide physical infrastructure to allow Caribbean nationals to be trained in rehabilitative medicine before returning to their homes to up the ante.

The West Demerara Regional Hospital has been selected as the point where the Cuba/CARICOM Training Centre for Disabilities will be established. The existing structures there are to be rehabilitated to meet the requirements.

Cuba on the other hand will give full technical support, using the physical infrastructure that Guyana is providing. That country will also pay the emoluments to the specialists coming to Guyana.

The project, piloted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the Ministry of Health as the lead agency for rehabilitative medicine, has had several interactions with Cuban teams and those teams are guided by Cuban Ambassador to Guyana, Julio Gonzalez Marchante.

The Cuban diplomat noted that work has been ongoing for about three years on the project. He pointed out that dealing with disability particularly in the community and establishing a centre will be important in the area of education.

Ambassador Marchante stated that whilst the programme is expected to begin in September, 2015, there were several documents which were up for discussion at today’s meeting. The first establishes the responsibilities of CARICOM and Cuba, giving the abilities and support for technical assistance. Another document dealt with where the activities would be conducted, whilst yet another sees Guyana’s establishment of the Centre itself.