Dr. Neville Graham
- Caribbean School of Medical Sciences, Jamaica hosts Second Seminar to
examine opportunities and pitfalls in Medical and Dental Education
- Experts unanimous in their call to establish specialized medical
training facilities
- High growth, high proposition ventures can augment healthcare delivery
Kingston, Jamaica: Some of Jamaica’s top medical professionals
are of the unanimous opinion that the island would benefit immensely as a hub
of Medical and Dental Education.
These views were expressed at the Second Seminar on Opportunities and
Pitfalls of Medical and Dental Education in Jamaica and the Caribbean,
organized at the Caribbean School of Medical Sciences, Jamaica at
their campus on 8 Waterloo Road, Kingston 10.
“Caribbean population of 35 million people has 60 medical schools as of
2011 with approximately 20,000 medical students in attendance,” said Dr.
Neville Graham, consultant surgeon and Dean of Caribbean School of
Medical Sciences, Jamaica (CSMSJ)
“Jamaica with its strategic positioning and the strength of its clinical
studies can only stand to benefit,” Dr. Graham said.
He added that the currently the country is missing out on this high
growth area.
“In St. Kitts and Nevis with a population of 46,000, there are four (4)
medical schools and in St. Lucia with a population 172,000 there are six (6)
medical schools, while Jamaica with a population of 2.7 million has three (3)
Medical Schools and two (2) Dental Schools,” he informed.
Dr Graham further expounded
that the newly established Caribbean School of Medical Sciences,
Jamaica is poised to address the needs of training medical
professionals for the world. He said that the country will earn valuable
foreign exchange.
According to figures, he said, offshore medical schools contribute
around 15 - 20 % to the GDP in Dominica, in St. Lucia 20 % to the GDP while
Antigua and Barbuda its 10 % of the GDP.
CSMSJ would be employing modern course delivery
methodologies, utilizing technology and blended learning, offering Pre Med
Diploma, MD, Post Graduate and Research programs. The first cohort of Pre Med
program commenced in April 2015, with the second cohort scheduled to commence
in August 2015.
“We will begin our MD Degree program in August 2015,” Dr. Graham
informed.
There is a serious shortfall
of Health workers in the world – the U.S. requires 52,000 more family doctors
per year as of the year 2025. The Association of American Medical Colleges
predicts a shortage in all types of physicians, 63,000 by 2015 and 130,600 by
2025
“According to the World Health Organization (WHO) the world needs
2.8 million doctors,” Dr. Graham said.
Dr. Irving McKenzie in his presentation said that there is a
definitive, clear and urgent need to train dentists in Jamaica. “The need for a
dentist is beyond cleaning and oral care, they are critical support to address
Oral cancers and other oral ailments,” he said.
“We are in need Dental Hygienists, Dental Technologists and Dental
Surgeons,” Dr. McKenzie said. “It makes every sense to facilitate their
training in Jamaica and establish such training facilities.”
Meanwhile, Professor Winston G. Mendes Davidson, Head , School of Public
Health & Health Technology highlighted the dire need of strengthening the
Public Health system. “Non-communicable diseases are a global priority, and
with the shift in lifestyle changes, Jamaica and Caribbean are no exception,”
Professor Davidson said.
“(Non-communicable diseases) are mostly preventable with effective
treatments and often accrue catastrophic costs to government
and individuals,” he said. “Risk Factors continue to spiral out of control – unhealthy
diet, physical inactivity, harmful alcohol use and smoking are the major
contributors to non-communicable diseases.”
Professor Davidson said these can be addressed through imparting
training and commended institutions like CSMSJ, which he said,
would go a long way in augmenting the healthcare delivery in Jamaica.
“I fully support the mandate of CSMSJ and I am
confident that the Health professionals, apart from obtaining their MD Degree
would also be trained in Public Health,” he said. “These medical professionals
can make valuable contribution in educating people on lifestyle changes and
non-communicable diseases.”
Other presenters at the CSMSJ Seminar included Dr. Doryck Boyd
and IT Specialist Brian Hall.
