Education
First Cohort of Healthcare Leaders Complete Practical Course in Health Policy and Health Systems in the Caribbean
Six postgraduate students are embarking on an internship after completing a pioneering course in health policy and systems by UWI and PAHO, aiming to cultivate healthcare leaders in the Caribbean.
3 min read
Originally published by barbadostoday.bb (opens in new tab)
Six postgraduate students are blazing a trail as they enter an internship that caps a first-ever practical course aimed at cultivating a new generation of healthcare leaders in the Caribbean.
The represent the first cohort of the Postgraduate Diploma and Certificate in Health Policy and Health Systems, offered jointly by the University of the West Indies (UWI) and the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO).
The students are: Gillian Little, a registered nurse in the emergency department at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Barbados; Keisha Small-Gittens, a registered pharmacist at the Barbados Drug Service; Nikisha Hazel, a registered nurse and midwife; Shemeka Williams, a registered pharmacist; Vonetta Nurse, a nutrition officer at UNICEF Jamaica; and Megueal Julien, a public health consultant.
The course’s practical segment commenced on 28 May, blending virtual coursework with a crucial in-person component that began on Monday at PAHO’s Dayrell’s Road offices.
“They’re coming now to the PAHO office in Barbados, to actually experience and interact with the mentors who are here in-country so they can be exposed to how PAHO works, and be trained in terms of developing policies and becoming health leaders,” said Edwin Bulastig, human resources for health sub-regional adviser for the Caribbean and PAHO/WHO co-coordinator.
The in-person internship will last for a week.
“What we’re trying to do is to develop a cadre of health leaders for the Caribbean region, by exposing them not just to the theoretical aspects of health leadership, health policy, health systems, but also to the actual workings,” Bulastig added.
“These programmes are meticulously designed to provide essential training opportunities to bolster our health systems and meet our human resource goals,” said UWI Cave Hill deputy principal Professor Winston Moore. “They align perfectly with the Caribbean Roadmap on Human Resources for Universal Health, which underscores the necessity to better align programmes with the needs of the healthcare system.”
Professor Moore noted that the occasion marks the successful implementation and progression of the programme, but also highlights the deepening relationship between the UWI and PAHO.
Speaking on behalf of the participants, Nikisha Hazel articulated the personal and professional impact of the practicum.
