Latest update December 20th, 2024 4:27 AM
Latest News
- EPA shamefully omitted sections Exxon Permit to argue against unlimited parent company guarantee for oil spills- Dr. Adams
- Hicken appointed top cop
- Israeli attacks pummel Gaza’s north as UN denounces lack of aid access
- Brutus refutes claims of attempting to leave Guyana
- Man gets life imprisonment sentence for felonious wounding
Health Minister dismisses call for expansion of nursing schools libraries
Although there has been a call for the expansion of the library at the Georgetown School of Nursing, such a move is certainly not on the horizon. At least this is according to Minister of Health Dr. Bheri Ramsaran who said that his Ministry is in fact leaning towards virtual libraries thereby making the call for an expansion irrelevant.
Minister of Health, Dr Bheri Ramsaran
Mrs. Valerie Garrido-Lowe, Executive Member of the Alliance for Change (AFC), on Monday raised the issue during the most recent sitting of the National Assembly. She queried from the Health Minister whether there are plans to provide a larger library at the city nursing school to facilitate the approximately 500 students who are currently enrolled at the institution.
She also interrogated the Minister about a shortage of up-to-date text books at the nursing school even as she pointed that there is urgent need for text books including: Anatomy and Physiology, Fundamentals of Nursing, Medical Surgical Nursing, Emergency Nursing, Nutrition, Path Physiology, Sociology for Nursing Pharmacology for Nursing, Drug Guide for Nursing, Myles Midwifery Text Book, Maye’s Midwifery Text Book and Anatomy and Physiology for Midwives.
However, Minister Ramsaran said, “We are making a big push in our nursing school to give them access to virtual libraries. We have in fact started to dismantle the concept of the normal library and are promoting the concept of a resource centre.” Access to some of the already available virtual libraries is being provided with support from the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), according to the Health Minister.
However, despite the move towards the modern facility, he cautioned that the Ministry will not simply discard the textbooks, some as old as 30 years, accommodated at the country’s nursing schools, particularly at the Georgetown facility.
According to the Minister, the concept of distance learning education and upgrading of one’s self outside of a formal classroom is gaining ground and Guyana is certainly not far behind.
“So the noise in some quarters asking why aren’t there books in the library sometimes makes me chuckle because we know that shortly there will be no more hard copies in our libraries…For now we are keeping them for our environment to look good,” the Minister mused.
The AFC Executive Member also put to the Minister on Monday the need for additional computers at the Georgetown Nursing School which according to her is only furnished with a mere five computers.
In fact she lobbied for the provision of at least 20 more computers to facilitate the research work of nursing students. Minister Ramsaran said that with the introduction of the learning resource centre notion there will be an inevitable flow of computers.
However instead of bolstering the number of computers at the nursing school, the Minister spoke of adding to the medical sciences library at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, which already offers a fair level of computer access to students.
“The computers there, I understand, are all functional and the Ministry will be soon adding to that and at the same time we will be seeking to introduce hot spots,” said the Minister.
Member of Parliament, Valerie Garrido-Lowe
Dr. Ramsaran said that students are being urged to utilise their laptops since according to him, “laptops are features of the modern age and should no longer be considered a luxury today.”
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
A question of timing and priorities
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News- The advent of significant oil discoveries has catapulted Guyana into the global spotlight.... more
Let the asylum seekers go: a first step for Venezuela to rebuild relations in the Americas
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News – The government of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela has steadfast support from many... more
Weekend Cartoon
