Health Ministry seeks to allay concerns of Dr. Barry Wint Memorial Scholarship recipients

By Halshane Burke   

 

The Ministry of Health & Wellness says commitment letters have been issued to tertiary institutions for the 436 recipients of the Dr. Barry Wint Memorial Scholarship who have signed the bond with the Ministry of Finance & the Public Service.

 

The Health Ministry says it will continue to dialogue with the respective institutions which will now work through their internal processes to address any challenges the students may be experiencing.

 

A number of students expressed concern about being barred from sitting upcoming exams due to a lack of clear communication from the Ministries of Finance and Health.

 

Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton has sought to allay their fears. 

 

"Those 436 represent 100 per cent of those who went to the Ministry of Finance. But nobody has been rejected. All the names have been sent up. So over the next few days, we should see a list sent to the institutions and letters provided. So I want to just encourage those students, not to panic, that the processing will be completed in short order, and they should be fine," he said. 

 

Dr. Tufton encouraged the remaining recipients to complete their bonding process. 

 

"Of the remaining number, which would be...about a little over 200, 200+, they need to go into the Ministry of Finance, the relevant section, and fill out their forms. Now, I know that some are suggesting that they don't have the guarantors, and in some instances, they may require up to three, not three always, but up to three," said the minister, who was addressing a press conference on Wednesday.

 

The deadline to complete their Bonding Agreement has been extended to next Friday, October 18. 

 

 

Registrar of the University of the West Indies Dr. Donovan Stanbury has said recipients of the Dr. Barry Wint Scholarship will be allowed to sit upcoming exams.

 

Several students stated that they were seeing a financial hold on their accounts which would result in them not being allowed to sit their exams.

 

Dr. Stanbury said, given the assurance from the Ministry of Health, the way would now be cleared for the students to continue with their studies. 

 

"Come to us in SAS, and we are not going to say, lift your financial hold, we're not going to do that until we have a firm commitment or until we see the money. But what we'll do is to allow them to sit their mid-semester exams. So we grant access for the next nine days or so. On the basis of that letter, we will grant the access to the students." 

 

Dr. Stanbury was speaking Wednesday on Radio Jamaica's Beyond the Headlines.