Guyana, China sign five-year health pact

China on Saturday agreed to train Guyanese doctors in medical specialities, as part of a five-year deal with the South American country.

China's National Health and Family Planning Commission chairwoman, Li Bin, said the accord would promote cooperation in health policy, human resource training and disease control.

"The Chinese government would like to support Guyana to train more human resources in terms of health so that there is a medical team that never left Guyana," she said through an interpreter at the signing of the agreement.

Guyana's Health Minister, Bheri Ramsaran said his government planned to invite Chinese academics in to lecture at the University of Guyana's School of Medicine and expand the pool of Chinese-trained medical practitioners.

"This will allow us to, in a cost-effective manner, sustainably produce a larger number of Guyanese doctors," he said.

Hundreds of Guyana's general medicine practitioners have been trained in Cuba under a scholarship program with that Caribbean nation.

Ramsaran has also asked China to send more obstetricians to help Guyana reduce maternal mortality and hopefully reach that United Nations Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of a 75 percent reduction.

Guyana recorded 18 maternal deaths in 2013 and 25 in 2012. The Guyanese Health Minister said the number of deaths so far for 2014 was far less than those last year.

Located on the northeast coast of South America, Guyana, a former British colony, has a population of 745,000 people.

© 2014 AFP