Medical Council balks at accrediting recent Cuban-trained doctors

Sep 04, 2013 News

Several Cuban-trained doctors who returned to Guyana are still to receive their certificates and transcripts and therefore cannot be registered to practice by the Guyana Medical Council.
Chairperson of the Guyana Medical Council, Dr. Vivienne Mitchell, made the disclosure yesterday, and said that the Council will be meeting with the Public Service Ministry again to sort out the problem.
“We have not got any documentation, and we are not sure why,” Dr. Mitchell said.
She said that the Cuban-trained Guyanese usually receive their certificates and transcripts before leaving Cuba.
“We believe that the university in Cuba prepared the documents. We are not sure where the documents are right now and which arm of the Government will provide them. She was unable to say whether any of the graduates were working but stressed that this should not be the case, since they are still to be registered.
“To be recognised as a doctor you (have to ) come with certificates from your medical school; if you are a recent graduate, we ask for a transcript, or if you practicing for a number of years we ask for a certificate of good standing from the Medical Council of the country in which you last practiced, and we want to know that you are not a criminal or of good character, so we ask for letters of reference and curriculum vitae so we can know what you been doing over the last six years.”
On Monday, Health Minister Dr Bheri Ramsaran, announced that 70 of the latest Cuban trained doctors have commenced the documentation and orientation process of deployment to the regional public health facilities.
Of the recent graduates, Ramsaran said that a batch of 30 doctors will be employed at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, (GPHC), while 14 doctors will work at the New Amsterdam Hospital facility; eight were distributed to Suddie Hospital in Region Two, and an additional eight will work at the Linden Hospital Complex in Region Ten, while West Demerara Regional Hospital will receive 10 new doctors.
The Guyana Medical Council has been seeking the assistance of the Foreign Ministry and the Public Service Ministry. Recently, by way of letter the Public Service Ministry provided a list of the students. But the medical council said that from the list it could not determine the successful students.
She said that no medical school has ever generated 100 per cent passes and those in Cuba will be no different.
But Dr. Mitchell said that the Council has been more rigid in its scrutiny of medical practitioners, since “there have been one or two instances of people being registered who should not have been.”
She said that the Council is moving to employ a Registrar whose sole function will be to do due diligence on medical practitioners who want to work in Guyana.
She said that at present the Council’s Disciplinary Committee is not fully functional because of some legal loopholes. The Council is seeking to have this addressed to prevent its decisions being overturned. “There are some cases pending (against medical practitioners) since last year; there is no point making a decision and saying that this person should be disciplined and they take us to court.”
Dr. Mitchell estimates that there are about 400 doctors, included about 100 foreign volunteers and a number of foreign nationals in the system. She said that the majority are junior doctors with less than five years’ experience.
At present the Council is involved in countrywide visits to hospitals to ensure that there is appropriate training for the most junior doctors and that they are under adequate supervision.

4 thoughts on “Medical Council balks at accrediting recent Cuban-trained doctors”

Burch01 September 4, 2013 at 8:24 am

After 21 years…..systems still not in place….a consequence,directly attributable to placing square pegs in round holes.
Alex Jr. September 4, 2013 at 5:27 pm

I don’t know where the Medical Council got their information from but a few errors and misconceptions need to be cleared. Firstly, there was no way that the Cuban trained doctors who were unsuccessful could have left the country, the Cubans are strict people and they do their jobs diligently and with pride. Additionally, The Public Service Ministry (P.S.M) has always been strict with anyone irrespective of who you were. Secondly, there was NOT 100% passes, lots of the interns doctors did not qualify for the state exam and as such had to repeat their rotation (s) and as such are still in Cuba. It also makes no sense that a character reference is needed for the past 6 years. Why? What were the recently graduated doctors doing for the past 6 or should I say, 7 years? They were in medical school and as such all the people they knew during that time are in Cuba! Character references should have been needed prior to that! Didn’t the medical council know that there were 270 plus scholars studying medicine in Cuba and that they were coming home soon? If not, it’s sad since stipulations should have been made prior. Also, prior to this year never were recently graduated doctors given their certificates, the Guyana embassy collects it and translates it, hence after a period of one year would it be available in Guyana, so it makes one wonder, what is the real problem. The medical council needs to come out and state the fact of the matter and stop misinforming the public.
besmart September 4, 2013 at 6:48 pm

Mr Gooseberry should not hold the position as minister of health…because he works for Ramotar and not the Ministry of Health. I need not say more.
Jose Marti September 4, 2013 at 9:52 pm

People should be knowledgeable about their function in the post they hold.Not masquerade as judges without knowing the arrangement between the PSM and the MOH as it relates to the registration of cuban trained graduates.The whole council should be replaced.