Dear Editor,
I refer to recent news stories that indicate the government has decided to recruit nurses from Bangladesh via a company called Sigma Engineering which poses a number of questions in my mind. Firstly, from all indications Guyana is currently short of competent nurses with reports of continued migration causing a rapid depletion in the nursing cohort required in public medical facilities. So, clearly the authorities need to take prompt action to correct this situation as we cannot claim to be the Dubai of the Caribbean with a substandard health care system. However, as they say charity begins at home and the natural question to ask is what is being done to retain Guyanese nurses? Clearly there is need for a serious upward revision in pay and overall emoluments plus some other forms of incentives as have been offered to other category of state workers such as subsidized cost for house lots, duty free concessions on a motor car for those with five years of service and equally important improved conditions at the various hospitals and medical centres.
Editor, can we understand why the recruitment of nurses must only take place from Bangladesh? Why not throw it open also to recruit from the Philippines and India, for example, both known to provide properly trained health workers who can speak English. Editor, investigations must also be carried out to find out exactly why Sigma Engineering has been recruited to do this instead of through Government-to-Government contact with Bangladesh, or at the minimum, reputable known agencies in above countries who deal with placement of their workers overseas and would have better “quality” control procedures in place. I know from personal experience that the Woodlands Hospital had recruited nurses form South India who have done a great job in improving the quality of health care at that institution and I am sure they would be willing to share their knowledge and expertise in this area with the Ministry of Health. Editor, I look forward to a review from the minister and president of this situation and taking the right decisions to avoid appearance of bias and inefficient decision making with regard to the expenditure of funds from the public purse.
Sincerely,
C. Persaud
