President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali on Tuesday commissioned a modern building for the University of Guyana’s College of Medical Sciences at Turkeyen Campus to support the growing demand for top-notch health education and research capabilities in Guyana.
The US$4.576 million facility will now provide a modern and conducive learning environment for 200 students and faculty members.
The building has the latest educational technology to facilitate interactive learning and engagement. It was funded by the government and the World Bank.
Key features of the modern facility include a lecture theatre, a microbiology laboratory with a wet prep room, an anatomy laboratory, a haematological/biochemistry, a haematology laboratory, research and skills labs, and eight classrooms.
President Ali highlighted that the project’s timeline was rescheduled, and accelerated negotiations were conducted to successfully complete the project.
He further emphasised the importance of leadership, ownership and responsibility in achieving success.
The government is investing heavily in education and health because it understands how important it is for Guyanese to have access to high-quality healthcare and education in a modern society.
The government is building a world-class education and healthcare system.
“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,” President Ali stated.
Apart from these investments, Guyana has partnered with various health institutions to have specialised training to deliver the highest level of care here.
He explained, “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…”
President Ali said that medical professionals will be able to function in the new healthcare system that the world is rapidly adopting by utilising robotics and artificial intelligence to conduct surgeries.
Heavy investments are being made in simulation laboratories to ensure students have access to the latest and most cutting-edge technology.
He noted that innovation, AI and digitisation must be integrated into every single area at the UG and Guyana’s developmental plans.
More than $13 billion is being invested in the university to ensure that Guyanese have access to 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,” the president pointed out.
President Ali said that since the university is currently accepting regional students, it can consider accepting students from around the world in different fields.
Meanwhile, Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony underscored that the state-of-the-art facility is important for the continuation of medical training in Guyana, given the expansion of health infrastructure and the dire need for additional trained health professionals.
UG’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Paloma Mohamed-Martin, in her remarks, said that the new edifice has significantly strengthened the university’s capacity to increase the enrolment of medical students.
Professor Mohamed-Martin explained that a significant number of eligible individuals occasionally do not get the chance to continue their education because of space constraints in the old facility.
“I am happy to say that this building today allows us to take in about 40 per cent of students in the medical school,” the Vice Chancellor revealed.
Within the last five years, she noted that the faculty expanded its student intake by adding 1,000 students per year.
She noted that this project is a culmination of decades of long needs being fulfilled.
“This has been a really long journey. It has taken us about ten years to design, redesign and adjust the requirements…” she reminded the gathering.
Additionally, World Bank Director for Human Development for Latin America and the Caribbean, Jaime Saavedra underlined that in addition to inaugurating a modern facility, they are also opening a vibrant hub for education, discovery and innovation, which are all integral to building Guyana’s human resource capacity.
“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,” Saavedra said.
Sod for the building was turned in November 2023. Construction was carried out by Shandong Highspeed Dejian Group Company Ltd.
This project falls under the Guyana Education Sector Improvement Plan.
Present at the commissioning ceremony were Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance and Public Service, Dr Ashni Singh, Minister of Education Priya Manickchand, representatives from the diplomatic corps and UG.
Unveiling of the plaque for the College of Medical Sciences Building at the University of Guyana
The new College of Medical Sciences Building at the University of Guyana, Turkeyen Campus
President Ali conducting a tour in one of the labs at the new building
President Ali conducting a tour in one of the labs at the new building
President Ali conducting a tour in one of the labs at the new building
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