Bhoe: Govt has to expand Med Faculty

Speaking to Newsday yesterday afternoon following his tour of the faculty at the Mount Hope Medical Sciences Complex, Tewarie said he heard complaints from students about malfunctioning air conditioning (AC) units , a leaking roof and the need for a cafeteria. However, he said he was confident that given the supportive disposition of the chairman of the North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA), John Eckstein, there should be some improvement within the next few weeks.

Tewarie told Newsday there needs to be a "clear policy of the Ministry of Health in training professionals in the medical field, so we can plan and organise meetings between the ministries of Health and Tertiary Education and the university. It would be constructive."

He said it was a suggestion beyond the proposals submitted by the campus to its line ministry for long-term viability of the faculty. He insisted that the faculty had outgrown the capacity allocated at the Mt Hope Complex, and the big challenge was providing more space if "we are to expand medical education."

Tewarie said he was accompanied on the tour by Eckstein, three student representatives, the campus bursar and the dean of the faculty. He said the AC and leaking problems were both infrastructural and fell under the NCRHA, which Eckstein promised to address. He said he learnt that the AC problem was a recurring one which affected the entire complex. Tewarie said he was assured that the AC unit in Amphitheatre B would be working by early next week. He pointed out that there were also problems with overcrowded classrooms, in that rooms designed for 175 students now accommodated 210 students. He said a commitment was made to have more seats placed in some of the rooms with proper working AC units.

Tewarie admitted that the increased number of medical students had forced the faculty to split classes and repeat lab sessions. "And as a long-term issue, the RHA or Government has to decide whether they are prepared to make a capital expenditure for expansion of the faculty. There is no way you can train doctors, vets, pharmacists, dentists or nurses without expansion."

As for the issue of a cafeteria, Tewarie said Eckstein promised to make a recommendation to the NCRHA’s board this week for tenders to have a concessionaire operate the rooftop restaurant, so as to make it functional as a cafeteria. He said the issue of providing an entertainment/study area for students was raised, and the swimming pool and a nearby building are expected to be refurbished for that purpose.

The issue of transferring clinical facilities for dentistry and vet students would be dealt with at a later time, as negotiations are ongoing between the Health Ministry and the RHA. Tewarie said the dialogue would continue as they work to improve the faculty.