Venezuelan Ambassador to Guyana Dairo Morandy yesterday urged students to make use of the once in a lifetime opportunity to study medicine in Venezuela at a meeting with ten scholarship awardees and their parents at the Venezuelan Cultural Centre.

Venezuelan Ambassador Dairo Morandy (sixth, left) poses with the Venezuelan Scholarship awardees and some of their relatives after their meeting at the Venezuelan Cultural Centre yesterday.

The ten awardees are the first Guyanese students afforded the opportunity to study at the Latin American School of Medicine in Caracas. The costs of their tuition, boarding and books will be borne by the Venezuelan government.

They are expected to depart Guyana on April 15, while classes will commence on April 20 with a focus on both academic and Spanish studies.

The ten awardees are Lovis Accra, Tremmane Adams, Lesmin Austin, Dacia Embrack, Shenitta Garraway, Ray Patterson, Devendra Persaud, Jermaine Slowe, Eon Smith and Kwami Smith.

Morandy further stressed the need for the students to return to Guyana to serve their country, where he said a great need for medical professionals exists. He added that they should not opt to go to the United States where according to him, “they have lots of doctors”.

It is anticipated that the number of scholarship awardees will be increased from ten to 20 next year and students will be able to access scholarships in the areas of agronomy and engineering.