-Minister Ramsaran

Minister within the Ministry of Health, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran told regional health officers and other participants at the first bi-annual regional health conference on Wednes-day that the ministry will be building managerial capacity to support the significant health sector improvements now taking place.

Under the theme ‘Strengthening Management of Primary Health Care Systems,’ the conference was hosted by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO). It got underway Wednesday at the Cheddi Jagan Research Cen-tre, the Government Informa-tion Agency (GINA) reported.

Issues addressed, GINA stated, included trends and challenges in health service management and skills and knowledge for health service managers.

Meanwhile Ramsaran highlighted that there has been great investment in the health sector for the past three to four years.

“The investment in the health sector over the past three to four years has far outstripped the investment in any other area. The actual physical landscape of the health sector is changing. We have created capacity to deliver quality health services on an equitable basis,” he was quoted by GINA as saying.

Ramsaran noted that investments have seen the commencement and commissioning of several small hospitals and diagnostic and treatment centres. He assured too that government will continue to take keen interest in the management of these new small health institutions.

And providing an update on developments in the sector, the minister said these institutions and others will see an increase in staff over the years as more health care professionals are being trained.

Recently, he added, the largest batch of students was inducted to become professional nurses and nursing assistants; and soon a number of medical students will be returning from Cuba and will be placed at these institutions.