The National Health Information Systems and Technology (HIST) workforce development programme was officially launched on Thursday at the Marriott Hotel in Georgetown, marking a major step in Guyana’s digital healthcare transformation. Funded by the US$100 million Greater Guyana Initiative, this programme aims to enhance patient care, build local capacity, and strengthen key components of the health sector.
HIST is more than just a training initiative; it is a strategic investment in the future of healthcare, designed to modernise the sector with digital solutions that enable seamless patient care.
Director of Mount Sinai – Guyana, Dr Rachel Vreeman, said that in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Mount Sinai is establishing a Guyana Digital Health Training Institute to build the workforce necessary to support new digital health initiatives, including the national electronic health records system.
“This is not just about having more IT specialists for the country. This initiative is providing the resources to really grow the capacity of the public health clinical staff and of leaders such as physicians and hospital administrators, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to strategically implement digital health solutions for Guyana,” Dr Vreeman said, as she applauded the Greater Guyana Initiative for recognising the critical role digital technology will play in advancing the sector.
L-R: Director of Mount Sinai – Guyana, Dr Rachel Vreeman; Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony and Lead of the Greater Guyana Initiative, Alicia Bess-Anderson
The programme will provide tuition-free training for individuals across all ten regions, using a modular curriculum developed with cutting-edge content. It will offer stipends during training, guarantee direct employment upon completion, and accept students without prior IT experience, preparing them with the skills needed to contribute to the new digital systems.
“It is going to have what we call a scalable training applied model,” Dr Vreeman explained. She said the programme will have a direct impact on scaling up digital health systems.
Mount Sinai, along with the Ministry of Health, is working on developing the curriculum for the programme.
The plan is for the Guyana Digital Health Training Institute to be fully integrated into the Ministry of Health in the future.
“It will not only serve as this critical resource for Guyana but for the entire Caribbean as this initiative progresses,” Dr Vreeman said.
Lead of the Greater Guyana Initiative, Alicia Bess-Anderson, spoke about the programme’s ambitious goals.
“Under this transformational programme, over 250 health information systems and technology workers will be trained to implement, manage, and maintain the national electronic health records system, which will serve as the foundation for establishing a centre of excellence, producing trained HIST professionals to serve Guyana and beyond,” Bess-Anderson said.
Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony, in his remarks, emphasised the necessity of digitalisation.
“If we don’t digitalise, it is going to be a problem for us, and we recognise that. If everything remains paper-based, efficiency will always be limited,” the health minister stated, highlighting the significance of such a programme.
Dr Anthony said the health system in Guyana is undergoing a transformation, with impactful changes expected in the coming years.
The post New digital system to transform health sector appeared first on News Room Guyana.
