UG Medical Sciences branch to open at new Tuschen Secondary

…night classes for GOAL scholars also planned

A branch of the University of Guyana’s (UG) College of Medical Sciences will soon be established at the newly commissioned Tuschen Secondary School, President Irfaan Ali announced on Wednesday.
Additionally, Ali announced that the school will also facilitate night classes for individuals studying through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) scholarship programme.

The state-of-the-art secondary school, located along the East Bank Essequibo, will serve a dual purpose by transforming into a medical school during the evenings. The initiative is part of the Government’s integrated development plan for Region Three, closely aligned with the recent commissioning of the De Kinderen Regional Hospital.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Tuschen Secondary School, President Ali explained that senior medical staff from the new regional hospital will also take on second jobs as lecturers at the UG medical branch, enabling them to also be able to benefit from tax incentives that the Government has given for persons working a second job.
“Today, Region Three, I want to announce to you that this facility will be converted in the evening as a branch of the College of Medical Sciences for the University of Guyana,” Ali said. “The senior doctors, nurses, and technicians working in the hospital system here will now have their tax incentives in their second jobs lecturing at the college of medical sciences right here in Tuschen.”
The move comes in response to growing demand for medical education. UG’s College of Medical Sciences currently offers more than 17 programmes, and since tuition was made free earlier this year, applications have surged. This year alone, 206 applications came from Region Three, but only 86 students were accommodated due to space limitations, leaving 144 applicants without placement. This new Medical Sciences branch will remedy that.
“No more disappointment; today Region Three will have its own College of Medical Sciences,” President Ali assured.
“By the end of this year, those 144 students will study right here in this region. Your children will become pharmacists, doctors, medical technologists, nurses – every single thing in the medical field – studying it right here in Region Three.”
The President also disclosed that the Government will expand laboratory facilities at Tuschen to ensure students have access to the infrastructure needed to support their training. He directed the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health to convene a joint meeting with the De Kindren Regional Hospital to coordinate services and resources.
“This is a Government that understands what a vision looks like and understands what building for tomorrow must look and feel like,” Ali emphasised.
The Tuschen branch of the UG College of Medical Sciences is expected to open its doors before the end of this year, providing expanded opportunities for aspiring healthcare professionals across Region Three