The number of job possibilities in the medical field is easily in the thousands, according to a leading lecturer and physician, and the country must do more to highlight these opportunities for Bahamians.
Dr. Robin Roberts, the director of the University of West Indies School of Clinical Medicine and Research in The Bahamas, made this appeal ahead of the Grand Bahama Business Outlook next week.
Roberts will serve as a speaker to stress the potential of healthcare to cure high unemployment.
The subject is perhaps a timely one.
Herbert Brown, the managing director at the Public Hospitals Authority, told Guardian Business late last year that up to $700 million will be spent on healthcare in the next 15 years. In fact, the $75 million expansion of the critical care block at Princess Margaret Hospital has already begun, as well as other extensions and upgrades to medical facilities in Grand Bahama and the Family Islands.
Meanwhile, according to recent figures from the Department of Statistics, the unemployment rate currently stands at 15.9 percent.
Roberts said this expansion and an aging population means The Bahamas must truly double its efforts to provide employment opportunities in the field.
Because at the moment, he said, Bahamians aren't getting the message.
"I don't know whether it is the schools aren't preparing them, or Bahamians are simply not aware," he said.
"The job opportunities for growth in the industry are phenomenal. We really need to double our efforts. We need to look at what is happening in our schools. That's where our efforts need to be. We need a much more aggressive and visible campaign."
To illustrate his point, Roberts said he is currently a lecturer at the College of the Bahamas. Although there is a "significant shortage" of pharmacists in the country, the class is often under-represented - even when scholarships are available.
Too many jobs in the healthcare field are occupied by foreigners to make up for the lack of skills, he said, and those that do well often end up in North America in the search for higher paying jobs.
He felt the country needs to make a commitment to jobs in the medical field.
Roberts noted that there are misconceptions that healthcare jobs only involve specialized occupations that require a great deal of schooling. He said a wide variety of positions are needed and available in the field.
"The beauty of healthcare jobs, is these are professions where you are working on the job site within two years," he said.
"I can't say offhand exactly how many jobs there are, but we're really into the thousands."
In regards to medical tourism, Roberts told Guardian Business that is "a whole new ball game".
He saw tremendous potential in this area as a means to generate jobs and revenue for the country, particularly for older retirees looking to settle down in a warm climate close to North America.
"When they are migrating and looking for retirement, the first question they ask is healthcare," he said. "If the investment is made in the industry, I think you'll see we can really take advantage of this."

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