Govt exploring more ways of expanding tertiary education in Region 6 – Pres Ali

…to boost medical, engineering programmes

The Government is exploring ways of offering more opportunities for Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) residents to attain tertiary education in the medical and engineering fields, with a needs assessment to be done.
Over the weekend, President Dr Irfaan Ali and team visited several Region Six communities where he laid out the Government’s strategy for development. While in Skeldon, President Ali spoke of the work being done by the Government to ensure that quality healthcare can be delivered to the residents of Region Six.
This involves the construction of a US$161 million New Amsterdam General Hospital and ensuring qualified specialists are in place, it also involves making sure there are training opportunities for locals.

“Whilst we’re doing that, we’re also investing to ensure that your children can become doctors, nurses, lab technicians. Because we want our doctors for region six, to come from region six,” Ali said.
“Our nurses to come from here. Our lab technicians to come from here. Our pharmacists to come from here. Our dental technicians to come from here. And we’re not talking that idly. Within six weeks, I have tasked a team to bring to me all that is needed, to ensure that we can offer, right here in Region Six, medical degrees.”
According to the Head of State, the Government is willing to make whatever investment is needed to provide tertiary education in fields such as pharmacy, dental and engineering. According to President Ali, “your children deserve it. Their future deserves it. We’re going to give them the opportunity right here.”
As part of the Government’s aggressive education drive, the Government has already announced it will be expanding the University of Guyana (UG) Tain Campus in Region Six. While addressing residents on the university campus, President Ali had linked efforts to turn Port Mourant into the technical training hub of Guyana and the Caribbean.
According to the President, a significant part of this transformation involves developing the Tain Campus and ensuring it can offer even more programmes. He had also explained that these investments will ensure the campus can provide education programmes in medical sciences, pharmacy, dentistry, engineering, law and oil and gas.
“If we have to put in the labs, (then) we will put in the labs. We are going to make the investments to ensure it happens and every child in this region can aspire to be the best they want to be,” President Ali had informed the hundreds of persons gathered.
In addition to UG’s Tain campus, President Ali had said that the administration would also be building nursing schools and a hospitality and tourism training institute in the region, in effort to support the growing industries and ensure persons in the region do not have to travel outside the region for quality education.
Currently, work is progressing on the US$7 million Tourism and Hospitality Institute at Port Mourant, with two buildings under construction – one for practical training and the other for classrooms.
It is expected that both buildings will be able to provide training for all aspects of the hospitality industry when the construction is completed. These include Hospitality and Tourism Management, front desk operations, housekeeping, food and beverages, cooking, culinary arts, quality and safety in a hotel, reservations, and marketing.