Health Ministry seeking applicants for Guyana’s 1st Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Care

…as new programme is launched at UG

Just one month after launching the Caribbean’s first Bachelor of  Science Degree in Respiratory Care (BSRC) at the University of Guyana (UG), the Health Ministry is looking for persons to train and become specialist in field.
The BSRC programme to be administered by UG stemmed from a holistic collaboration between the tertiary institution, the Health Ministry, and the Georgetown Public Hospital Cooperation (GPHC).
It was developed in 11 months with the primary aim of expanding Guyana’s academic offerings and strengthening competencies in clinical healthcare skills, respiratory therapy, and technology and instrumentation, among others.
Further, the Bachelor of Science Degree in Respiratory Care (BSRC) programme gives students a foundation in cardiopulmonary care and prepares them for careers as respiratory therapists providing patient care in hospitals, pediatric clinics, extended care facilities, sleep labs, and more.
In an interview with this publication on Saturday, Head of the Spirometry Department at the GPHC, Dr. Waleema Bacchus-Ali disclosed that the ministry intends to start the course with a batch of 15 students.
She said consideration will be extended to other individuals who apply but didn’t meet the criteria for the programme. As such, they can be shortlisted for the next semester in 2025.
The course is slated to commence on September 16, in both hybrid and face-to-face format.
“So, the classes the first year, because it’s a four-year programme, the first year will be at the University of Guyana where that will be face-to-face classes full-time. And then for the latter three years, then it will take more of a hybrid approach where they’re going to have face-to-face classes, they’re going to have online classes, and they’re also going to have to be doing clinicals at the hospital… So, they go on to the University of Guyana new student login page. They will have to create a student ID on the university page and then they go to College of Medical Sciences. The programme will be listed there. Respiratory therapy. They just click on it and you follow the instructions after,” Dr. Bacchus-Ali explained
Speaking on the importance of the programme, Dr. Bacchus-Ali added that the initiative will boost Guyana’s capability to manage and grapple with the effects of serious threats like COVID 19, which severely affects the respiratory system.
She added that these skilled professionals will also play a crucial role in supporting the Government’s efforts to provide world-class healthcare services.
“This programme here actually will build capacity in more specialised management in critical care, so we’re looking at the people who are in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit), the newborns who are in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit), people who are in HDU (High-dependency unit), the heart patients who are in the cardiac intensive care unit. It provides specialised care in terms of airway management, maintaining your airway, ventilator management, administering aerosolised treatment. It will also focus on chronic diseases, respiratory chronic diseases, so patients who have asthma, who have COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) are going to receive more specialised care,” she added.
Requirements for admission
Applicants must have passes in five subjects at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination, with grades one to three. These must include English Language or Mathematics, along with any two of the following science subjects: Biology/Human Biology, Chemistry, Physics, or Integrated Science (Single Award); Applicants must be a Registered Nurse with the Nursing Council of Guyana or hold foreign registration that is accepted by both the Nursing Council and the University of Guyana; Applicants must be at least 21 years old, have a minimum of five years of relevant work experience, and pass the University of Guyana Entrance Examination (UGEE); Any qualification deemed equivalent by the University to the above criteria will also be considered. (G1)