Workshop zeroes in on nurses migration
Guyana Chronicle
July 13, 2004
THE University of Guyana’s Institute of Development Studies (IDS) – in conjunction with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) – yesterday held a workshop entitled `International Trade Negotiations/Proposals: Trade in Nursing Services’ at Le Meredien Pegasus Hotel, Georgetown.
In his introductory remarks, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of UG, Mr. Al Creighton congratulated the IDS on hosting the conference and others like it, noting the crucial developmental role that these play within the society.
Mr. Creighton said that he thought it somewhat ironical that industrialised countries whose wealth had been built by the exploitation of today’s less developed countries are now dependent on skilled staff trained by countries like Guyana which have done what they could with very little resources.
He also said that Guyana is known as a major exporter of intelligentsia, not only to developed countries but other Caribbean Community (CARICOM) members as well.
He cited the example of St. Lucia where up to 40% of the education staff are University of Guyana graduates.
The Deputy-Vice Chancellor mentioned that only recently, at CARICOM’s Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) April meeting, it was agreed that there was a need for managed migration of nurses and other professionals to stem the brain drain affecting the region.
Between 2002 and 2003, about 900 nurses migrated from the Caribbean.
In his opening presentation for the workshop, Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy said that nursing “is and has always been one of the foundations of an effective public health care system.”
He argued that there is usually no long-term planning on the part of both developed and developing countries when it comes to health care workers, and that developed countries respond to acute shortages in the nursing and other sectors sector by simply opening up their immigration policies to encourage recruitment.
He said that more developed countries do not take into consideration the investment made by poorer countries in training skilled workers.
He said that Guyana and Jamaica – both of which suffer greatly from recruitment drives for nurses and teachers – have called on more developed countries to assist in training nurses.
“I would like to reiterate,” said the minister, “Guyana’s call for developed countries to assist us in the enhancement and expansion of our training programmes through direct developmental aid for these programmes.”
He also urged that developing countries take a more proactive role in restructuring and updating their health care systems so as to retain more workers.
He suggested less restrictive criteria for entry into the medical field, citing remedial education programmes in the United States that allow people without high school diplomas to eventually make their way into the health care system by proving that they are willing to work hard to get there.
“The doors to certain professions,” said Minister Ramsammy, “are locked tight to too many persons. The consequence is that the numbers of persons that vie for a place in different professions remain a limiting factor.”
Also presenting at the opening ceremony were Mr. Vishal Kapur, Third Secretary of Development at CIDA; and Ms. Beverly Reynolds, Deputy Programme Manager, Health Sector, CARICOM.
(RUEL JOHNSON)