KINGSTON, Jamaica — Applications for the recently announced $2.5 billion Dr. Barry Wint Memorial Scholarship will open on Monday, July 8th.
The scholarship, named in honour of former Chief Medical Officer Dr. Barry Wint, is expected to provide individuals with “a new opportunity to access public health studies funding from the Government of Jamaica,” according to a news release from the Ministry of Health and Human Services.
The launch of the scholarships was announced by Minister of Health and Human Services, Dr Christopher Tufton, during a sector-specific presentation in Parliament in May. The scholarships are aimed at Jamaicans undertaking studies in a range of fields, including health technology, health human resources, medical social work, epidemiology, medical physics, health records management, hospital/healthcare management, health information systems, pharmacy, dentistry, health economics, nursing and medicine.
“These are some of the essential groups that we need to fill the manpower gap. We cannot restrict labour mobility, but we can work with other agencies and jurisdictions to train more manpower and hopefully share their skill sets across different agencies and jurisdictions,” the minister said when announcing the scholarships in May.
“We need to do more in training and manpower provision, including being open to training for export as well. This needs to include working with external partners, including institutions outside Jamaica.”
Applications for the scholarship, which will provide up to $1 million per recipient for up to five years, can be made online at www.moh.gov.jm/scholarship. The portal closes on Wednesday, July 31.
Recipients will be obligated to work in the public health system for a set period of time. In addition, the Ministry of Health is exploring the possibility of flexible contracts for health workers to undergo collaborative training across jurisdictions and institutions. Clinical training abroad and remote teacher placements to extend training in these medical fields are also being considered.
