UG pharmacy graduates should not suffer this fate

Dear Editor,
This letter was written out of a pure desperation and frustration. I am a University of Guyana Pharmacy graduate.
My colleagues and I graduated November 2015. Almost one year later, we are yet to receive our practicing licence. Numerous letters have been published with regard to this issue but to no avail. The reason that was cited for us not receiving our licences in January, as per norm, is the Pharmacy Council of Guyana in collaboration with the Ministry of Health planned to initiate the Pharmacy Internship Programme, as stipulated in the Pharmacy Practitioners Act 2003 Chapter 18.
This law dictates that all pharmacy graduates must complete the internship programme prior to becoming licensed.
After months of receiving no information what so ever, approximately three months ago, we were assured that internship would commence in August or September 2016, the latest.
In addition to this long wait, the Council is now calling for the duration of the internship to be one year. The law governing such internship clearly states six months as the least duration period for the internship programme.
Is it fair? Is it reasonable? Is anyone being considerate to the grief and inconvenience we have already endured? That instead of utilising the least prescribed duration period they would implement one year!
To add insult to injury, the University of Guyana has requested that we begin paying our loans as of September last, when currently our Degrees are not of much worth but to our pride. We are now in October 2016; when will we get help? When will we be real pharmacists? Do we need to protest to be heard?
Is this how the country rewards young people that choose an honest way of living? If the Council and the Ministry are not yet capable of facilitating such a programme, why keep us hanging in the balance?

Sincerely,
Desperate graduate