I am a frustrated medical student who would like to explain the plight and distress the medical students are presently faced with.

With reference to the statement by the Vice-Chancellor about a month ago, in which he stated that the Medical Director advised him that the Medical school could reasonably function without the doctors who have withdrawn services, I would like to record my disagreement.

The public must be notified that since June 18, 2001 there have been no official classes in Pediatrics and Gynecology, while clinical training in Internal Medicine and Surgery rotations have been denied. Letters were written to the Medical Director concerning these issues two months ago, and to date there has been no resolution.

I will be quite frank, the collapse of the medical school is the result of the appointment of a certain doctor, and to my mind the immediate resignation of this individual is the answer to the resolution of the problems.

I am calling on His Excellency, the President of Guyana, the Vice-Chancellor, the Registrar, the Dean of Health Sciences, the Clinical Coordinator of UGSM and the public to assist in resolving this matter.

With regard to our problems, we would like the public to know that this battle should not be fought by the students alone, because without the medical school, the entire health care system will collapse.

It’s distributing to know that the cream of our country is being treated in this manner. The majority of students in the medical school are those who have excelled at ‘A’ levels, Degree programs and Diploma programs.

These include:
Shailendra Sugrim, Anita Florendo, Michael Chin, Adrian Peters, Reeta Gobin, Rajendra Sukhraj, (all Guyana scholars) others who have done well include Ava McPherson, Ronald Ross, Rhyhan Singh, Kalima Thompson, Kamla Sanasi, Mohalani Chatterdeo, Anna Florendo, Davina Jagdeo, Surendra Sugrim and many more.

What impact will this have on our youths, who are hoping to become doctors if the scholars are treated this way?

Our youths will no longer aspire to become medical doctors: this will be the biggest downfall of our country.

I ask once more for this matter to be resolved immediately.

MEDICAL STUDENT