Nurses and Midwives to be registered and licenced as new law passed

May 19, 2022 News

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Kaieteur News – The Nurses and Midwives Bill 2022 which makes provision for the registration and regulation of nurses, midwives and nursing assistants, was passed in the National Assembly on Tuesday.

The new legislation, among other things, seeks to establish the Nurses and Midwives Council, thereby setting out the functions and powers of the body, allowing it to appoint committees. Prior to the passage, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall SC told the House the new law will be replaced by the amended Nurses and Midwives Bill of 2019. During his presentation, Nandlall sounded off on the other side of the House as he alluded to the “callous” manner in which the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition passed the previous bill and purported to make it law.
He explained that the Nurses and Midwives Bill of 2019, though well intended was passed not through the legally required legislative process, but by a government that was ousted from office by way of a No-Confidence Motion. Nandlall explained the caretaker APNU+AFC government brought, debated by themselves and passed the Nurses and Midwives Bill of 2019. According to Nandlall, the former administration put the bill through a “bastardly process,” then “later produced it to be assented to by a President [David Granger] who at the time was mandated by the expressed language of the constitution to resign.”
Describing the act as the height of lawlessness, Nandlall noted the previous purported legislation is invalid, null and void and of no effect. According to Nandlall, given the manner in which piece of legislation was passed in the National Assembly the People Progressive Party /Civic (PPP/C) has taken the initiative to remove the impure bill from the Laws of Guyana.
“…That’s why, Mr. Speaker the PPP/C government had to put a repeal clause in the bill… Notably, the Nurse and Midwives Bill, was prepared before the APNU+AFC government took office in 2015, so what they did was adjusted and passed it…”Nandlall said, noting nevertheless that the Nurses and Midwives Bill is very important because it creates essential infrastructure for the nurses and midwives.
To add to the debate, Opposition Member of Parliament, Dawn Hastings told the House that there is no need to repeal the Act. “From my knowledge the reason for repealing a law is, make it simplify and modernize the statue but listening to the Attorney General, I am not convinced Mr. Speaker that this is what is happening here…” Hasting said.
She continued: “”We see change to critical parts of this bill.”
According to her, the former Nurses and Midwives Bill had included a section that would see the establishment of a council to oversee the work of Nurses and Midwives in Guyana; in a more inclusive and transparent manner. She noted that under the old bill, provision was made for a council to regulate training, preparing the curriculum of studies for nurses. “Those sections have been replaced… What we are seeing are changes made to the way in which persons are selected to sit on the disciplinary committee…”she changed.
To this end, Hasting said the sections of the bill should not be changed.
The bill, which repeals the Nurses and Midwives Act, provides for the establishment of Nurses and Midwives Council to oversee the profession, including the registration and certification of nursing personnel; development of a code of ethics and conduct for nursing personnel and monitoring compliance; and exercise of disciplinary control.
Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony in presenting, the Nurses and Midwives Bill 2022 for its first reading, noted that the new legislation will see the regulation of nurses, midwives, nursing assistants and specialist nurses, among other things.
It would also be responsible for establishing standards of education, training, conduct and performance for nursing personnel and to ensure the maintenance of those standards; promoting the interests of nursing personnel; advising the Minister on matters related to nursing personnel; and performing any other functions as may be conferred on it by law
The council will consist of fifteen members appointed by the minister and shall elect from among its members a Chairperson, a Vice Chairperson and any other officers as it considers fit. It will include among other persons the Chief Nursing Officer; the Director of Nursing at the Georgetown Public Hospital; and representatives of the Guyana Nursing Association, the Midwives Association, the University of Guyana’s Nursing Programme, the Health Sciences Education at the Ministry of Health, the School of Nursing, a private nursing school, and civil society.
The members who are not ex-officio shall hold office for a period of three years and shall not be eligible for re-appointment or re-election.

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