The National Assembly on Monday passed the Medical Practitioners Amendment Bill which now clears the way for non-nationals to practice medicine or surgery in Guyana.
The amendment removes criteria where persons had to be a citizen of Guyana, married to a citizen of Guyana, resident of Guyana, or CARICOM national to be considered for proper registration in Guyana.
Removing the criteria, said Dr. Frank Anthony, Minister of Health, will be “opening up the country to a pool of expertise that is urgently needed if we are going to continue with the transformation of the healthcare sector.”
The minister pointed out that training a doctor takes a long time, and an even longer time for specialist training and the amendment could address this by allowing practitioners from abroad to practice in Guyana.
Practitioners will be required to be registered by the local Medical Council.
The government is expecting Guyanese and non-Guyanese abroad will want to come to Guyana for medical care.
