PAHO and Ministries of Health and Education Join Forces to Donate Nursing Equipment Valued at $20,000 to the Turks and Caicos Islands Community College’s Nursing Programme

Providenciales Turks and Caicos Islands July 6, 2023 – The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), through the Ministry of Health, has donated nursing equipment valued at $20,000 to the Turks and Caicos Islands Community College’s Nursing Programme.  This donation aims to strengthen nursing education and address the shortage of nurses in the Caribbean sub-region.

The equipment handover ceremony took place on Monday, July 3, 2023, and was attended by esteemed dignitaries, including government officials and college representatives.  Minister of Health and Human Services, Hon. Shaun Malcolm, highlighted the partnership between PAHO and the government, which began in March 2022, and the efforts to upgrade the nursing programme to a Bachelor’s Degree level.

In July 2022, PAHO, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the South Regional Office offered the Turks and Caicos Islands the opportunity to participate in a pilot programme to strengthen nursing education in the Caribbean.  Hon. Malcolm emphasized the critical shortage of nurses and the need for a long-term strategy to address this issue.

Hon. Rachel Taylor, the Minister of Education, Youth, Sports, and Social Services, commended the partnership and highlighted the recent deployment of nursing cohorts from TCI Community College to Jamaica for internships in collaboration with the University Hospital of Jamaica.  Dr. Candice Williams, the President/CEO of TCI Community College, expressed appreciation for the donations and recognized the college’s dependence on partnerships to achieve its vision.  Dr. Williams also reaffirmed the college’s dedication to delivering high-quality education with access to cutting-edge resources and expressed the institution’s aspirations to become the preferred choice for education and training in the Turks and Caicos Islands and beyond.

The donation by PAHO and the Ministry of Health is a significant step toward strengthening nursing education and addressing the shortage of healthcare professionals in the Turks and Caicos Islands and, by extension, the Caribbean sub-region.  The college is also considering offering a Bachelor of Nursing programme and expanding the nursing course to its Providenciales Campus.