The Ministry of Health today launched the Digital Health Training Institute in partnership with Mount Sinai and The Greater Guyana Initiative.

The US$5M three-year initiative will see approximately 250 Guyanese from across the country being trained in User support, Health IT, Data science and Digital systems management.

Executive Director of Mount Sinai – Guyana Health Initiative, and Chair of the Department of Global Health at Mount Sinai, Dr Rachel Vreeman, in her address at the event said the launch of the training institute marks the start of a bold transformative movement that will shape the future of healthcare delivery in Guyana.

“And Mount Sinai is deeply proud to serve as a partner in building the workforce that will bring this digital transformation to life. Through the Digital Health Training Institute, we are not simply offering technical skills but we are investing together in the generation of leaders who are going to guide Guyana’s healthcare system into a new era…The Digital Health Training Institute will serve as a true centre of excellence, not only for Guyana but as a model for the region and for countries that are looking to learn from Guyana for leaders in Digital Health,” Dr Vreeman said.

She said by training Guyanese professionals in User support, Health IT, Data science and Digital systems management, Guyana is establishing a long term pipeline of expertise that is rooted in the country.

Mount Sinai’s Global Health Informatics Director, and Assistant Professor of Global Health and Health System Design, Dr Jeb Weisman will be leading the initiative.

He said the Digital Health Training Institute is being established simultaneously with the Digital Health Services Corps, and together they will play a pivotal role in supporting the future of Healthcare Information Systems and Technology in Guyana.

Dr Weisman said the Digital Health Institute would support Government’s vision of integrating digital technologies and services to enhance patient care, scientific research and innovation.

“Our goals are to establish the institute as an integral part of the Ministry of Health and help build robust, skilled workforce of technicians, data science trainers and support staff throughout the country – the very individuals who will drive this digital transformation programme,” Dr Weisman said.

He said the Digital Health Institute would serve as a valuable resource – providing critical tech support to Health Sector.

Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony, said the launch of the Digital Health Training Institute forms part of the country’s push to modernize and digitize its Healthcare System, and will provide critical support to the health facilities across the country as the ministry rolls out the Digital Health Records System and the Electronic Appointment System.

“We have started a process with Rio-med, and the IDB to roll out Digital Health Records at the Georgetown Public Hospital and while we are doing that, we also recognize that if we are going to roll this out successfully, we will need a number of persons who would be able to fix some of the technical problems that people would have in using the software. And so, one of the vital roles that the students from this programme would be helping us to fix is all these technical problems that the people at the hospital might be having,” Minister Anthony explained.

He said at the end of the three years, the Health Ministry will facilitate the training through the institute.

He extended gratitude to the Greater Guyana Initiative for buying into the initiative and providing much needed financial resources to bring it to life.

President of ExxonMobil Guyana, Alistair Routledge said the Digital Health Training Institute is being funded through the Greater Guyana Initiative – a $20B fund designed to support sustainable development in the country over a period of 10 years.

“It is about building capacity, it is about improving communities, and it is about helping on healthcare, and you could tell from what you have heard, we are checking at least two if not all three of those boxes with this initiative. And that’s why we are so excited to be here today as part of this initiative to build the Digital Health Training Institute here in Guyana,” Routledge said.

He said the Guyana is no doubt leading the way in the Caribbean in the area of Digital Health, and the Digital Health Training Institute has set the bar high.

 Though the institute will train an initial batch of 250 to 300 professionals, the Ministry of Health intends to expand it in the future.

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