GOVERNMENT plans to invest $8 million for free training in a new and rapidly expanding sector over the next three years.

Come September 3, the first 100 trainees for the registered medical transcriptionist (RMT) certification will begin their nine-month programme at Building No. 8, Princess Alice Highway, The City.

The project is a joint venture between the Barbados Investment and Development Corporation (BIDC), Invest Barbados and the North Carolina-based Transcription Relief Services (TRS).

Medical transcription is the translation from oral to electronic form of a person's medical history – diagnosis, treatment, prognosis and outcome. This information will be accessible only by the patient's doctor.

BIDC chief executive officer Anthony Sobers told seminar participants at Sherbourne Centre yesterday the sector generated US$28 billion a year in the United States at an increased rate of 12 per cent.

"This is a growing sector and shows immense prospects for Barbados. We expect that in the next three to five years we can develop an industry with at least 500 persons, providing employment for that number of persons and providing revenues of around $30 million in foreign exchange," he added.

Vice-president of TRS Kathy Rockel said even though the sector was expanding rapidly, there was a serious shortage of RMTs in the United States and Barbados was "a prime place" to fill the void.

RMTs are already in place in Trinidad and Guyana.

Screening for the first intake runs from today to Thursday at the Barbados Technology Training Institute at Building No.3, Harbour Road.

(YB)