New US$4.57M UG medical sciences building to train more doctors

President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali on Tuesday commissioned a modern building for the University of Guyana’s College of Medical Sciences at the Turkeyen Campus, aiming to enhance health education and research capabilities.

The US$4.576 million facility, funded by the government and the World Bank, will accommodate 200 students and faculty members. Equipped with the latest educational technology, it includes a lecture theatre, a microbiology laboratory with a wet prep room, an anatomy laboratory, a haematological/biochemistry laboratory, a haematology laboratory, research and skills labs, and eight classrooms.

Ali said the project’s timeline was adjusted and negotiations were accelerated to complete construction successfully. He stressed the role of leadership, ownership, and responsibility in achieving progress.

The government is making substantial investments in education and healthcare, he said, adding that these efforts are critical to providing high-quality services in a modern society.

Expanding Medical Training

Ali outlined plans to expand access to university-level medical training across the country.

“I want to say to the Vice Chancellor and Dr Cummings that the vision is not a centralised vision. The vision is, how do we take the services of the university to key and critical areas out to every single region in our country? And that is why the New Amsterdam Hospital will be a teaching hospital that will have the capability and capacity to graduate at least 200 students and to take in 200 students,” he said.

Guyana has also partnered with health institutions to provide specialised training and improve medical care.

“This is what an integrated education and world-class education and healthcare system must look like, and we are making those investments… But, of course, we know the world is advancing [at a] tremendous pace. We will also have to have labs that allow our students to learn robotics and AI…” Ali said.

The government is investing in simulation laboratories to ensure medical students have access to advanced training tools, he added.

Ali said integrating artificial intelligence, robotics, and digital technologies into education and healthcare is crucial.

Guyana is investing more than GYD 13 billion in the University of Guyana to provide free tertiary education.

“We are not cutting costs or corners to deliver that free education. We want to prepare and produce students who are world-class in every field… so that our students will be globally competitive… This is about a huge vision. This is about understanding where we want the country to be positioned, not only to deliver excellent health care to patients but to be part of the research,” he said.

Ali suggested that the university, which currently accepts regional students, could consider enrolling students from around the world in various disciplines.

Addressing Capacity Challenges

Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony said the new facility would support the training of more medical professionals to meet the country’s growing healthcare demands.

University of Guyana Vice Chancellor Professor Paloma Mohamed-Martin said the new building strengthens the university’s ability to accommodate more students.

“I am happy to say that this building today allows us to take in about 40 per cent of students in the medical school,” she said.

She noted that space limitations in the old facility had previously prevented some eligible students from enrolling. Over the past five years, the faculty has increased student intake by 1,000 per year.

“This has been a really long journey. It has taken us about ten years to design, redesign and adjust the requirements…” she said.

Jaime Saavedra, the World Bank’s director for human development in Latin America and the Caribbean, said the facility will serve as a hub for education, research, and innovation.

“This facility symbolises the government’s relentless commitment to advance health and education. It serves as a powerful testament to the transformative investments that we all have a shared vision for a prosperous future for Guyana,” he said.

Construction of the building, carried out by China’s Shandong Highspeed Dejian Group Company Ltd, began in November 2023 under the Guyana Education Sector Improvement Plan.

Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance and Public Service, Dr Ashni Singh, Education Minister Priya Manickchand, diplomatic representatives, and university officials attended the commissioning ceremony. (Modified from DPI)

The building  that was commissioned 

A section of the gathering at the commissioning