The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus has signed two Memoranda of Understanding aimed at strengthening healthcare delivery, research and training through new partnerships with the North West Regional Health Authority and the Princess Elizabeth Home for Handicapped Children Association.
Two new Memoranda of Understanding have been signed by the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, the North West Regional Health Authority and the Princess Elizabeth Home for Handicapped Children Association to enhance collaboration in healthcare, research and training.
The agreements will create internship and graduate trainee opportunities for engineering students, expand clinical training for dentistry students, and support collaborative research in biomedical engineering, digital health and healthcare infrastructure.
Dean, Faculty of Medical Sciences, UWI Professor Hariharan Seetharaman says the partnerships will also improve access to dental care for special needs patients while strengthening links between academia and the public health sector.
“This one is being led by the Dental School of the Faculty of Medical Sciences through its Special Needs Dentistry Clinic and will provide dental care for special needs patients, clinical support and training at no cost to the patients, once funding exists. We look forward to using the home’s surgical theater as much as possible to carry out these treatments.”
Professor Seetharaman says the collaboration reflects the university’s commitment to building partnerships that extend beyond the classroom and address national development priorities.
He says the initiatives are expected to improve healthcare delivery while creating practical opportunities for students and researchers.
“It is our hope that one of the outcomes will be the development of systems that boost the efficiency of our healthcare system. These plans fit into the broader objective of developing healthcare engineering solutions for Trinidad and Tobago’s public health sector. It’s no exaggeration to say that the health sector, public and private, would benefit tremendously from these kinds of alliances, which can only bode well for the population. These two MOUs are well aligned with the university’s commitment to building partnerships outside of academia to support both our students and external bodies in ways that enrich learning throughout our society.”
The agreements were signed by the University of the West Indies, the North West Regional Health Authority and the Princess Elizabeth Home for Handicapped Children Association as part of efforts to expand collaboration in healthcare, education and research.