The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that the Government has granted approval to the Sigma Engineers Limited to recruit a total of 500 nurses from Bangladesh.

While the company is not known to be directly involved in the healthcare sector, it is believed that the permission was sought to fill vacancies that may be existing at both private and public hospitals in Guyana.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained the Ministry in response to a request from Sigma Engineers Ltd., issued the letter to confirm that the agency was authorized to recruit healthcare workers, with the view to addressing concerns raised both by the public and private sectors on the severe skills shortage in the health sector.

According to the Foreign Ministry, the Private Sector Commission has on numerous occasions requested the Government’s assistance in addressing the need to fill the skills shortages not only in the health sector but also in the critical sectors of construction, engineering, and services given the expansion and growth of Guyana’s economy.

“In this regard, the recruitment agency was appointed to liaise with relevant authorities from various
countries to recruit healthcare workers including, but not limited to Bangladesh. It is within this context
that the authorization letter was issued by the Ministry to prevent issues such as human trafficking or
any abuse of this process”, the Foreign Ministry explained.

The Ministry said no one has been recruited so far through Sigma Engineers Ltd. Inc as shortages are currently being filled by personnel from Cuba.

The statement added that the Government of Guyana remains open to the recruitment of specialized skills which do not currently exist in Guyana from any part of the globe, for both the public and private sectors.

The Ministry’s statement came in wake of the leak of the approval document on social media. The healthcare industry in Guyana continues to face a severe shortage with the Georgetown Hospital alone facing a shortage of 600 nurses. In the past few years, hundreds of Guyanese nurses have migrated to the United Kingdom to take up lucrative jobs.

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