Six college students from throughout the Caribbean final week participated in an intensive practicum on the Pan American Well being Group (PAHO) workplace in Barbados as the ultimate aspect of the inaugural two-year College of the West Indies (UWI) Postgraduate Diploma in Well being Coverage and Well being Methods.
This system which started in September 2022, was designed to coach individuals who search experience in creating well being coverage and organizing well being methods. PAHO lent collaborative experience, to the event of programs within the novel educational programme and facilitated the one-week internship alternative to afford the scholars sensible expertise within the specialised discipline and to know the organisation’s position.
The scholars are Vincentian Gillian Little, a registered nurse primarily based in Barbados; Barbadian, Keisha Small- Gittens, a registered pharmacist; Nikisha Hazel, a registered nurse and midwife from St Kitts and Nevis; Shemeka Williams, a registered pharmacist from Grenada; Vonetta Nurse, a Guyanese diet officer who works in Jamaica; and Trinidadian Megueal Julien, a public well being advisor, primarily based in Jamaica.
Appearing Dean of the School of Medical Sciences, Dr. Nkemcho Ojeh, described the collaboration with PAHO as one which continues to be transformative inside the native and regional well being care system. “We acknowledge that our public well being analysis addressing well being care methods might be additional enhanced to be extra impactful on the coverage and follow ranges. Usually, we face challenges as a consequence of poor coverage implementation. Due to this fact, the practicum exposures on this joint UWI-PAHO programme are essential in addressing these points and offering our college students with precious hands-on expertise,” Dr Ojeh emphasised.
Co-coordinator and Lecturer in Public Well being & Epidemiology, School of Medical Sciences, UWI, Cave Hill Campus, Dr Heather Harewood, echoed this sentiment noting that this coaching contributes in direction of constructing a community of people who find themselves extremely skilled on this discipline throughout the Caribbean, and this may augur effectively for our future and the healthcare system.
Reflecting on the groundwork that resulted within the roll-out of the programs whereas primarily based within the Caribbean workplace, Dr Benjamin Puertas thanked the companions at UWI for his or her dedication and perseverance even through the pandemic to make sure its roll-out. “In case you take a look at the coursework earlier than COVID-19, we have been speaking about well being governance, management in public well being, human assets for well being administration, well being providers, medicines and know-how, and well being financing. It’s like we have been already speaking in a post-pandemic period, as a result of these are priorities that got here even stronger after the COVID-19 pandemic,” Dr Puertas outlined.
Deputy Principal on the UWI Cave Hill Campus, Dr Winston Moore, additionally famous that the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted essential deficiencies in well being methods, revealing areas in dire want of enchancment in each infrastructure and coverage. “The UWI Submit graduate certificates and diploma in well being coverage and well being methods packages have been meticulously designed to supply important coaching alternatives to bolster our well being methods and meet our human useful resource targets. They’re linked completely with the Caribbean Highway map on human assets for common well being which underscores the need to higher align packages with the wants of the well being care system,” he underlined.
One scholar, Nikisha Hazel described the course as a precious expertise and inspired others to think about the course, noting “the relevance of this program because it helps to align well being professionals with the required abilities wanted to answer the ever-evolving healthcare system inside the area.” She additionally challenged them to “be resilient and protracted in pursuing data and excellence as a area” to positively form the way forward for well being.
A skilled workforce is crucial to advance in direction of common well being, as clearly set out within the PAHO Workforce 2030 Coverage, and the Caribbean Human Sources for Well being (HRH) Roadmap, famous Subregional Program Director of the PAHO Caribbean Subregional Workplace, Dean Chambliss. “The in-person element of the practicum for the primary Cohort of the postgraduate program is becoming squarely into this broad push for improved HRH within the Caribbean. It’s a important milestone within the coaching of future well being leaders by the Caribbean for the Caribbean… It’s my hope that we maintain this program over time and add a number of extra cohorts to this grouping,” Chambliss emphasised.
Director of Human Growth on the CARICOM Secretariat, Helen Royer, famous that the realisation of Common Well being Protection and Well being for all requires sturdy and resilient well being methods which might be staffed by a well-prepared healthcare workforce. She nonetheless added: “Equally sturdy well being insurance policies are required to make sure the efficient governance and functioning of those methods, in addition to the coaching and retention of motivated well being assets for well being (HRH). Due to this fact, coverage improvement and well being methods strengthening go hand in hand.”
In the meantime, PAHO/WHO Consultant for Barbados and the Japanese Caribbean International locations, Dr Amalia Del Riego, identified that from inception, PAHO has been devoted to enhancing and defending the well being of the individuals within the Americas – at all times working for well being fairness. “Well being coverage is the spine of an efficient healthcare system. It shapes how assets are allotted, influences the accessibility and high quality of care, and ensures that public well being initiatives are aligned with the wants of our populations,” Dr Amalia careworn.
The scholars and contributors additionally heard the contents of the Draft Coverage Transient on Migration and Mobility of Well being Employees within the Caribbean offered by Dr Edwin Bolastig.
