by Nisha Paul
- Specialised training in Guyana and Jamaica
- Training areas include obstetrics and gynaecology, psychiatry, radiology, internal medicine, pathology and ear, nose and throat
- 18 healthcare workers undergoing specialised training in emergency response
Grenada’s public healthcare system is preparing for a short-term gap with a long-term goal in sight. Six doctors from the General Hospital will soon leave to pursue specialised training in Guyana and Jamaica, under a government-funded scholarship programme valued at EC$2 million.
As part of a broader push to strengthen the country’s medical capacity, the announcement was made by Health Minister Phillip Telesford during Wednesday’s post-Cabinet briefing in St George’s. “The training is going to be specialisation in the following areas: obstetrics and gynaecology, psychiatry, radiology, internal medicine, and ear, nose and throat, as well as pathology, and so these 6 doctors would be leaving soon,” the minister said. The identified areas indicate ongoing capacity gaps within the healthcare system.
With 6 doctors stepping away at once, the already strained system will need to absorb the loss in the short term, as attention turns to how services will be maintained.
In a significant policy shift, Telesford said the government is also moving to address a long-standing issue affecting doctors seeking specialist training. Traditionally, doctors were required to resign their posts before leaving to study, often facing delays and uncertainty when trying to re-enter the system. That process is now being scrapped. “Although they are on contract, we are making arrangements to have these doctors regularised to ensure that they have continued service…our doctors, when they are going to specialise, normally, they would have to resign their jobs and reapply, and sometimes it takes a long time to get back into the system.” “Their basic pay will continue, and we are funding 100% of their tuition.”
The move is expected to provide greater job security and reduce the risk of losing trained professionals to other countries, a persistent challenge within the healthcare system. At the same time, efforts are underway to strengthen frontline response. The minister revealed that 18 healthcare workers are currently undergoing specialised training in emergency response, aimed at improving readiness and the overall quality of care. “So, while we work on the gap analysis…towards the development of the entire emergency system at the hospital, we have a batch of emergency medical technicians who are currently in training, and they should finish by October this year.”
The training is part of a broader plan to overhaul emergency services, where long wait times and limited response capacity have been ongoing concerns.
“We are trying to develop that particular unit to have a proper response mechanism in place for emergencies and to be able to treat the amount of time that people have to wait when they come into the emergency unit,” the minister said.
With patients already dealing with delays and limited access to specialist care, the absence of the 6 doctors is expected to be felt; however, the latest moves come as the government pushes ahead with plans for a modernised General Hospital, with significant emphasis on building human capacity alongside infrastructure.