May 4th By Demerara Waves
Some GUY $200M is to be spent to construct a new nursing school in New Amsterdam, Berbice, health minister Dr. Leslie Ramsammy announced on Wednesday.
Addressing participants at an event to mark International Day of the Midwife, the minister said it was a project that had been mooted for some time.
“In this coming year we will be investing almost $200M in the construction of a new nursing school in New Amsterdam,” he said to applause.
He added that the money is available and a draft of the facility has already been done.
“I’ve asked the PS (Permanent Secretary) to engage the senior nurses in the nursing school so that we can have a state-of-the-art nursing school constructed,” Dr. Ramsammy stated.
The minister said his ministry has also been tasked with looking at the Georgetown Nursing School and the Charles Roza Nursing School in Linden in order to transform them into state of the art facilities.
“I am in the position that I was in New Amsterdam earlier in that I don’t know yet where that money is coming from but you know we do find the money, we just have to put our minds to it. And so now that we’ve gotten New Amsterdam out of the way we will begin think of Georgetown and Linden,” he said.
Dr. Ramsammy added that investments must also be made in the curricula of these schools and in-service training.
“Continuing nursing education is critical and that is why we’ve been urging the Nursing Council and the new nursing legislation requires that all nurses must complete a certain number of continuing nursing education credit for licensing and continuous registration.”
According to the minister, they are working towards bettering the system and while it will not be immediate, it should not take forever.