Press Release

November 16, 2022

Nine (9) persons graduated today as Advanced Emergency Medical Technicians after undergoing an eight-month training exercise.

The training commenced on February 19, 2020, as a collaborative effort between the Guyana Fire Service, the National Emergency Medical Services, and the Ministry of Health.

The exercise was facilitated by Dr. Shannon Langston and Andrea Fletcher, RN, of Vanderbilt University and involved Zoom classes for the theoretical aspect, while the practical aspect was conducted at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation’s Emergency Room and Maternity Unit.

It was aimed at improving the quality of service offered by the EMS, as these technicians will now be able to administer medications to persons before they reach the hospital, potentially saving lives on the scene.

Minister of Home Affairs, Hon. Robeson Benn, congratulated the graduates and advised that they exercise empathy and be mindful of the level of service that is expected of them. He encouraged them to make better use of the resources available in today’s modern world to administer better care.

Minister Benn said the government will continue to support the EMS and ensure technicians are well trained in order to achieve the goal of having ambulances in all regions. He further admonished the graduates to develop a professional culture, be disciplined, and make their country proud.

Meanwhile, Chief Fire Officer (AG), Gregory Wickham, thanked the government and Ministry of Home Affairs for their continuous support and expressed that the next move will be to extend the emergency medical services to Region 3. He congratulated the ranks and charged them to provide a service with confidence.

The best graduating students of the program were Nandaram Dat and Cleveland King. The other graduates were Orletta Crandon, Nioka Deyounge, Kelvin James, Klein Knights, Andrew Patterson, Bhumika Sookdeo, and Sandor Walcott.