More money for nursing students

HEALTH MINISTER John Rahael announced an increase in the monthly stipend for nursing students as one way in which Government is seeking to ensure there are sufficient numbers of trained and qualified nurses in the health sector. Addressing yesterday’s post-Cabinet news conference at Whitehall, Rahael said Cabinet agreed to increase the monthly stipend paid to students enrolled in nursing programmes at the Health Ministry and the College of Science, Technology and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago (COSTAATT). Persons enrolled in the Ministry’s programme will now receive monthly stipends of $1,200 (first year), $1,400 (second year) and $1,700 (third year). Persons enrolled in COSTAATT’s programme will now receive monthly stipends of $1,000 (first year), $1,000 (second year) and $1,400 (third year).

Rahael also said Cabinet agreed to the continuation of the nurses in training programmes and increase in the intake number of nurses in these programmes. The Minister added that COSTAATT will increase its annual intake of nursing students from 90 to 200. “We are hoping that COSTAATT will be able to accommodate two sets of intakes. This will increase the number of nurses that we are hoping to train from 300 to 700. He reiterated the Ministry’s determination “to ensure that over the medium to long term, the supply of trained and registerable nurses in the country outstrips the demand for such nurses.  It is estimated that there are now 850 vacancies for nurses in public sector only. Notwithstanding attempts for the recruitment of nurses from Cuba, North America and the United Kingdom, the demand for nurses continues to outstrip the Ministry’s ability to supply,” the Minister said.