Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law and in addition to any scholarships or loans for nurses which may be available, the Commissioner of Health is authorized to select annually from the staffs of the health facilities in the Territory two practical nurses for training as registered nurses in recognized nurses' schools in the United States. Said nurses shall receive leave with full pay for the period required to obtain degrees, and they shall execute contracts similar to those required of persons who are entitled to scholarships provided by the Government of the United States Virgin Islands.