New simulation centre brings nursing training closer to Region Five students

Nursing students in Region Five will now be able to complete practical training closer to home following the opening of a new Simulation Centre in West Coast Berbice, part of efforts to ease long-standing capacity constraints in the healthcare system.

The centre, located in Naarstighied Village next to the Bath Regional Hospital, was officially opened on Saturday by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Regional Democratic Council Region Five Health Services.

Historically, nursing candidates from Region Five had to travel to New Amsterdam or Georgetown for training, with limited programme capacity accommodating only 200 to 250 registered nurses. The new facility is intended to address these constraints by providing localised practical training without compromising standards.

Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony said the initiative forms part of a broader effort to decentralise healthcare training and expand the country’s medical education system in line with rising demand.

He also highlighted a larger training facility nearing completion in New Amsterdam, which will include classrooms, a computer lab, a library and specialised simulation labs. The centre is expected to support about 20 training programmes under the ministry’s training division.

Dr Anthony further pointed to advances in the health sector, including the introduction of robotic surgery and tele-robotic procedures.

Guyana is now the only country in the Caribbean performing robotic surgeries, including procedures such as hernia repair and complex heart septal repair using minimally invasive robotic systems.

Recently, a tele-robotic surgery was conducted in Guyana, in which a Guyana-based surgeon operated on a patient in India over a fibre-optic link spanning nearly 20,000 kilometres, described as a world record.

The Ministry of Health said the investments reflect ongoing efforts to modernise healthcare delivery and expand training opportunities for health professionals across the country.