President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali on Thursday charged 669 newly qualified nurses to uphold the highest standards of professionalism as they join a rapidly expanding healthcare system designed to meet the country’s growing needs.
The graduates received their qualifications through the Ministry of Health’s Professional Nursing Hybrid Training Programme during a ceremony at the National Cultural Centre (NCC).
This is the largest graduating class of registered nurses in Guyana’s history.
While many countries continue to grapple with nursing shortages, President Ali said Guyana is preparing its workforce to support an expanding health sector driven by new hospitals, specialised services and modern technology.
He posited that today’s healthcare professionals must embrace digital health, artificial intelligence, evidence-based practice and advanced medical technologies.
The new nurses were encouraged to remain compassionate throughout their careers and were reminded that nursing extends far beyond clinical duties.
“Treat the illness, but never forget the person. Nursing must never lose the human touch,” the president urged.
Meanwhile, Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony said the initiative has transformed access to nursing education by ensuring that geography is no longer a barrier to professional training.
“Today we celebrate the largest graduating class of the Registered Nursing Programme ever produced in Guyana. And it is the first class to graduate through this hybrid nursing programme,” Dr Anthony said.
The health minister encouraged the graduates to pursue lifelong learning, remain dependable, embrace innovation and always place patients at the centre of their work as Guyana continues to modernise its healthcare system.
The graduating class included nurses from all ten administrative regions, with Region Four producing the largest number of graduates.
