Opposition Member of Parliament, Roysdale Forde is of the view that the “simplistic” approach being taken by the Government to address the shortage of nurses in Guyana will only result in the further migration of nurses and other key medical personnel.

Faced with an acute shortage of nurses in the public healthcare sector due to increasing migration, the Government of Guyana has announced that it is looking to import nurses from Cuba to remedy the situation. But, MP Forde, in a statement on Tuesday said such a move would do more harm than good.

“The surprisingly simplistic thinking and approach of the PPP/C government to address this extremely worrying shortage could only lead to further diminish the current number of nurses causing a diminution of that important sector of our society,” the Opposition Member of Parliament said.

He said the solution to the challenges facing Guyana’s Public Healthcare Sector lies in a report, which was compiled by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in 2011 under the title – Human Resources Series No. 64 – Nurse Migration in Guyana.

According to that report, nurses, at the time, were not only migrating to the US, UK and other Caribbean Islands, but were also moving to the Private Healthcare Sector due to better working conditions, renumeration and benefits.   

“In that very study, certain strategies were recommended to retain our nurses. These include: Improve workplace conditions such as staffing levels, safety, physical facilities, supplies and equipment; create positive practice work environments by putting in place the requirements; establish staffing patterns and blueprints for the health care facilities in line with identified needs and organizational philosophy; advance the achievement of national health systems strategic goals by staffing health care facilities with appropriate educationally prepared and experienced nurses,” he detailed.

The report also spoke of the need to improve other benefits, such as shift differentials and remote pay differentials; the provision of incentives, such as financial or soft bank loans for homes, cars, and other necessities; and non-financial protocols for best practice and award.

MP Forde said nurses, like other healthcare workers, play a critical role in the delivery of primary healthcare, health awareness and education, disease prevention and control, maternal and child health, non-communicable disease management and collaborative care and must be treated with respect.   

“It seems pretty basic that if the government review that report and implement even a few of those recommendations then there would be no need to import nurses. In particular if the government relook at the renumeration package it is offering to our nurses then our nurses are likely to stay and serve. But the government cannot pay nurses less than $200,000 [less than USD$600] per month and expect them to stay in the local health sector. Many of these nurses are single parents with at least two children. Add to that the rising cost of living and the picture of our nurses going through hardship and struggle appears clear,” MP Forde reasoned.

At the Georgetown Public Hospital alone, some 500 nurses are needed.

At the national level there is a shortage of over 1200 nurses. To remedy the situation, Guyana is also looking to Canada for technical support as it moves to expand its Nursing Programme.

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