Health Ministry, Mt Sinai launch US$5M digital health training programme

– 300 students to benefit
Guyana’s health sector is set for a major technological boost as the Ministry of Health, in partnership with the Mount Sinai Digital Health Training Institute, has launched a US$5 million training programme aimed at preparing nearly 300 young people for careers in digital healthcare over the next three years.

The initiative is designed to complement ongoing national projects–including the rollout of electronic health records–as Government continues its push to modernise healthcare delivery and build a skilled digital workforce.
Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony said the programme will prepare students to provide frontline digital support within hospitals and regional health facilities.
“We’re looking at close to 300 people trained with the various programmes that we’ll be having,” so that would complement other things that we’re doing, because we already have a programme where we’re rolling out the digital health records with another company, RioMed.” The Minister emphasised that the training will help address real-time challenges that arise as digital services expand across the public health system. “So as we roll out the electronic health record, one of the common challenges that you’ll have is that maybe a doctor who is using a tablet–it freezes up–and they need some tech support,” he said. “So we’ll be training these young people to offer that type of tech support to begin with.”
According to him, the programme will prepare a team capable of responding across facilities: “So anybody, as we roll this out in the hospital, anybody who’s got a problem and they don’t know how to solve it, they would call for tech support, and these young people would provide that tech support.”
Beyond technical support, Dr Anthony said the programme will build capacity in areas essential to digital health expansion. “Other areas would be how to analyse data,” he noted. “Because as we accumulate more data, we need to analyse that better.” He stressed that cybersecurity will be a major focus to protect patient information and safeguard the electronic system. “We also want to make sure that people’s data are protected,” he said. “So cybersecurity is going to be very important. What you can plug in or not plug in into the system–that becomes very important.” The Minister added that the training programme includes participants from every region. “As we decentralise the system, we want to have capacity in every region where we’ll be able to provide the same level of service,” he stated. “We have persons from different regions who are going to be part of this programme and we have identified them and they’ll also be trained.”
He noted that regulatory frameworks have already been developed with the support of the Mount Sinai team. “We have put systems in place, we have protocols in place, we have done a number of regulations in collaboration with this team from Mount Sinai,” he said. Meanwhile, Executive Director of the Arnhold Institute for Global Health at Mount Sinai, Dr Rachel Vreeman, praised Guyana’s commitment to building a modern digital health ecosystem and told students they were becoming part of history. “Through the Digital Health Training Institute, we are not simply offering technical skills,” she said. “We’re investing together in a generation of leaders who are going to guide Guyana’s healthcare system into a new era.” Addressing the inaugural cohort, she described the moment as transformative. “You are making history. This is a special moment in the beginning of a bold, transformative movement that’s going to shape the future of healthcare delivery for Guyana.” Dr Vreeman highlighted the country’s bold national vision for digital healthcare. “Guyana has articulated a clear and courageous vision–a digital health system that elevates the quality of care, empowers every healthcare provider, and ensures that every patient in every region benefits from modern, high-quality services.” “When you go on to work in Guyana’s hospitals and health facilities, you will not simply be putting into place these new digital tools,” she told students. “You are strengthening the quality of healthcare for every person who walks through those doors.” Dr Vreeman added that the impact of the programme will reach generations. “Together, we are building something extraordinary–shaping a future of healthcare in Guyana that will serve families, communities and generations to come.”