$125B to be spent in 3 years to upgrade hinterland health facilities – Pres Ali

– as Mabaruma smart Hospital commissioned

In building the vision of having a ‘world-class’ healthcare system in Guyana, President Irfaan Ali on Monday announced that $125 billion will be expended to upgrade hinterland facilities within the next three years.
The Head of State made this announcement at the commissioning of the Mabaruma Hospital under the SMART Hospital project – part of an $835 million funded initiative by the UK Government through UK Aid for the upgrading of five regional facilities.

This project was implemented by the Pan American Health Organisation’s Department of Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Relief with support from the Health Ministry.
Moving forward, he said Government has major plans to revamp hinterland health facilities, which will come to full fruition by 2025.
“In the hinterland, outside of the main investments and big facilities, we’re going to spend $125 billion in the next three years at Lethem, Kato, Mahdia, Kamarang, Mabaruma, Moruca, Bartica and Port Kaituma. More than $125 billion will be invested in these facilities, giving the best working condition, giving the population the best possible access to healthcare services.”
The President highlighted that such investments will directly influence the transformation of society and better quality of life for all Guyanese. He added that every region will be supported so that patients acquire better care regardless of their location.

“Whether you are in Region One or Region Nine or Region Four, you will have access to facilities. Very important to us also is the whole modernisation of the healthcare system. That requires that there is a basic level of equipment at every level – community healthcare, regional healthcare, and national healthcare,” President Ali underscored.

Recently, Ali announced sweeping increases for persons working in the health sector to complement their eight per cent overall wage hike. But on this end, he noted that service must also be up to par.
“We have to deliver service that gives people hope, not despair; that gives families comfort. We’re capable of doing that. We have shown time and time again that we have the capabilities. We must commit to this.”
On the other hand, Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony explained that this sets the stage for upgrades and standards for other facilities, in creating climate-resilient and sustainable operations across the health sector.

“We will use this as a demonstration of what we can do with other facilities in the country. It will ensure that whatever the weather might be like, that we will not be flooded and can continue our services. Over the last few years, the health sector would have received an extremely generous allocation from the Government of Guyana to ensure that the health and welfare of the people of this country is well taken care of,” he underscored.

The other facilities upgraded under this project are Leonora, Diamond, and Lethem hospitals, while works are still ongoing on the fifth at Paramakatoi.
According to Dr Anthony, the Health Ministry has been putting adequate human resources and equipment in Region One, and especially bolstering systems to address endemic issues such as malaria.
“In every health centre and health post in Region One, we can comfortably say that we have at least two community health workers and we’re extending services. Before, people were unsure of what services are provided at the health post, health centre, and at the district hospital. People were unsure of that.”
He added, “We have been able with the help of PAHO, to map out at each level, what are the services that we will be delivering. We have started to put staff, equipment in place to make sure that we can deliver these services.”