23 nurses, including 5 instructors, will be heading to China next Monday, to participate in a 2 month training programme.

Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton says the training is intended to help fill the shortage of specialist nurses in Jamaica’s health sector.

Dr. Tufton explains that Jamaica lacks adequate training space and the Chinese government offered to make their clinics available.

The nurses are expected to return to the island with the requisite skills and certification, and start working in local hospitals and health centres that need nurses.

The Jamaica-China bilateral corporation critical care nurses training programme is fully sponsored by the Chinese government.

A launch ceremony for the programme was held yesterday (Jun 22) at the Kingston Public Hospital.