PM Davis affirms commitment to expanding healthcare in The Bahamas at WAUSM White Coat Ceremony

Mon, Sep 12th 2022, 11:41 AM

Presenting the keynote addressat Western Atlantic University School of Medicine’s (WAUSM) White CoatCeremony at Grand Lucayan resort on Saturday, September 10, 2022, PrimeMinister and Minister of Finance the Hon. Philip Davis commended the 39medical students on their accomplishments.

He also remarked that the university’s Grand Bahama campus was animportant contributor to tourism, through both education and medicaltourism sectors.

The Davis Administration and WAUSM signed an amended Heads ofAgreement in January to provide “a more profitable structure for TheBahamas with removal of the moratorium on medical schools.”

Prime Minister Davis said the government has marketed The Bahamas asideally located for foreign and direct investment, tourism and travel; andwhile congratulating them on their accomplishments thus far, heencouraged the WAUSM students to spread the word about theirBahamian experience during their medical residency.

“After your time here students, candidates, I hope that you will all want torecommend this unique Bahamian Edu-tourism experience to all of yourfamilies, friends, and colleagues,” he said.

It was a proud moment for the medical scholars who strutted across thestage as their loved ones looked on.

The Prime Minister also praised WAUSM for believing in the Bahamianeconomy and partnering with the government.

“I commend WAUSM for its commitment to diversity in education and itsconfidence in our national economy, notwithstanding the recent challengesin Grand Bahama with Dorian and the pandemic,” he said.

“I’m confident that your best days are ahead of you and with thegovernment as your partner, there are many public/private partnershipopportunities that we can exploit as we work together to build theeconomy of Grand Bahama, the WAUSM local brand, the educationcommunity and an unmatched legacy of experts in medical education.”

The government, he noted, is already investing in two new state-of-the-arthospitals in Grand Bahama and New Providence, completing several poly-clinics and mini hospitals in the Family Islands, and upgrading many existinghealth clinics, comprising a major step forward in upgrading theinfrastructure of the country’s healthcare delivery system.

Additionally, the government is expanding the country’s telemedicinecapacity and provision of specialized medical care to ensure it is available inevery government clinic, inclusive of the Family Islands, the prime ministersaid.

“We are also continuing to go towards the provision of universal healthcarecoverage. This is foundational to the way Bahamians can access health-careservices,” he said while pointing out to the medical students that all ofthose initiatives hold opportunities for them once they complete theirstudies.

This latest White Coat Ceremony was the third such ceremony for theuniversity, which boasts the newest and most contemporary campuses ininternational medical education. Situated just 80 miles from Florida, itspre-clerkship campus in Freeport allows easy access to and from the UnitedStates and Canada.

 

Presenting the keynote address
at Western Atlantic University School of Medicine’s (WAUSM) White Coat
Ceremony at Grand Lucayan resort on Saturday, September 10, 2022, Prime
Minister and Minister of Finance the Hon. Philip Davis commended the 39
medical students on their accomplishments.
He also remarked that the university’s Grand Bahama campus was an
important contributor to tourism, through both education and medical
tourism sectors.
The Davis Administration and WAUSM signed an amended Heads of
Agreement in January to provide “a more profitable structure for The
Bahamas with removal of the moratorium on medical schools.”
Prime Minister Davis said the government has marketed The Bahamas as
ideally located for foreign and direct investment, tourism and travel; and
while congratulating them on their accomplishments thus far, he
encouraged the WAUSM students to spread the word about their
Bahamian experience during their medical residency.
“After your time here students, candidates, I hope that you will all want to
recommend this unique Bahamian Edu-tourism experience to all of your
families, friends, and colleagues,” he said.
It was a proud moment for the medical scholars who strutted across the
stage as their loved ones looked on.
The Prime Minister also praised WAUSM for believing in the Bahamian
economy and partnering with the government.
“I commend WAUSM for its commitment to diversity in education and its
confidence in our national economy, notwithstanding the recent challenges
in Grand Bahama with Dorian and the pandemic,” he said.
“I’m confident that your best days are ahead of you and with the
government as your partner, there are many public/private partnership
opportunities that we can exploit as we work together to build the
economy of Grand Bahama, the WAUSM local brand, the education
community and an unmatched legacy of experts in medical education.”
The government, he noted, is already investing in two new state-of-the-art
hospitals in Grand Bahama and New Providence, completing several poly-
clinics and mini hospitals in the Family Islands, and upgrading many existing
health clinics, comprising a major step forward in upgrading the
infrastructure of the country’s healthcare delivery system.
Additionally, the government is expanding the country’s telemedicine
capacity and provision of specialized medical care to ensure it is available in
every government clinic, inclusive of the Family Islands, the prime minister
said.
“We are also continuing to go towards the provision of universal healthcare
coverage. This is foundational to the way Bahamians can access health-care
services,” he said while pointing out to the medical students that all of
those initiatives hold opportunities for them once they complete their
studies.
This latest White Coat Ceremony was the third such ceremony for the
university, which boasts the newest and most contemporary campuses in
international medical education. Situated just 80 miles from Florida, its
pre-clerkship campus in Freeport allows easy access to and from the United
States and Canada.
 Sponsored Ads