Stakeholders from the public and private sectors, on Thursday, stressed the importance of being ‘standards-ready’ for the many opportunities that would come about as a result of Guyana’s emerging Oil and Gas sector.
According to the Department of Public Information (DPI), at the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) draft strategic-plan consultation, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, Deborah Ramsay said the medical facility is collaborating with the GNBS to ensure standards compliance in its laboratory.
Ramsay said the hospital is currently working towards achieving the ISO 9001 certificate by 2019. She noted, “Hospitals, labs and other medical institutions are just as equally important to the oil and gas sector. We know there are certain standards that we have to adapt.”
Trinidadian Consultant, Dr. Joseph Khan, who has been working with the GNBS on its five-year strategic plan, said once the oil and gas begin to flow, there will be a greater need for service companies to be ‘standards-ready.’ “Locals in Trinidad were not ready to compete; they did not have their ISO certification. So, Guyanese must ensure that they are ready to capitalise on the opportunity,” Dr. Khan emphasised.
Khan said he was sharing the ‘Trinidad experience’ to underscore the importance of implementing all the necessary measures and putting systems in place in order to be prepared, whether first oil is five or ten years in the future, DPI reported.
