Eighteen community health and senior support workers have completed a course designed to equip them with the skills, knowledge and competencies to deliver high quality care.
The graduates received their certificates and pins in a ceremony held at the Davy Hill Community Centre on Thursday, 13 September.
The course is adapted from the United Kingdom’s National Health Service Care Certificate Course and Montserrat is the first among the overseas territories to pilot this programme.
Trainees received comprehensive education across multiple healthcare disciplines with a focus on safeguarding, communication, infection prevention and control, and patient safety.
The programme is designed to build confidence among healthcare workers and ensure they meet the national standards for quality care.
Naomi Joseph-Foster, nurse tutor and training coordinator, said the course is a “game changer” for healthcare on island.
“The training provides our healthcare workers with the confidence and skills to deliver exceptional care and support to patients,” she said in a government press release on 16 September.
“I’m incredibly proud of the graduates and excited for the future of healthcare on the island.”
Joseph-Foster will soon extend her expertise to assist the British Virgin Islands as they prepare to roll out their own version of the course.
During the ceremony, Chief Medical Officer Dr Sharra Greenaway-Duberry said the Ministry of Health and Social Services is already planning for a second cohort of participants.
She also highlighted the significance of the occasion which not only celebrated the graduates but also highlighted Montserrat’s leadership role in the region.
