Sod turned for world-class $4.4B Moruca Regional Hospital

– Govt invested $52B to develop Region 1 since 2020 – President Ali

In a transformative step towards improving healthcare in Guyana’s hinterland communities, President Dr. Irfaan Ali and Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony were on Tuesday part of the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a $4.4 billion hospital at Moruca, Region One (Barima-Waini).

The world-class facility, set to be located at Three Miles, is expected to revolutionise access to healthcare for over 30,000 residents within the region and parts of Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam).
The hospital, funded through a US$97 million Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) loan, is aimed at strengthening Guyana’s healthcare system, and would thus feature state-of-the-art facilities, including 45 in-patient beds, a maternity and paediatric unit, dialysis services, laboratory capabilities, CT scanning capability, and ultrasound services. The project, to be undertaken by the Chinese firm PCI-Sinopharm International Consortium, is scheduled to be completed within 24 months.
Speaking at the event, President Ali highlighted the transformative impact the hospital would have on the community.
“This new hospital will have two fully functional operating theatres here in Moruca, so all your surgical requirements will be done right here in this hospital. You will have a modern ER equivalent to any hospital we are building anywhere in this country. You will have digital X-rays, you don’t have to carry around X-rays in that white envelope no more…We are also going to build at this facility 75 apartments for residents, doctors and nurses who will work in the hospital,” Ali said.
The Moruca Regional Hospital is also expected to address the healthcare disparities faced by hinterland and riverine communities, which form the majority of the nursing programme’s intake, with over 60 per cent of new nurses hailing from these areas.
President Ali has reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to empowering these communities through access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities.
“Today, the largest segment of the population in the nursing programme are our young Amerindian people. More than 60 per cent, more than 60 per cent of the total intake of all the nurses, are from the hinterland and riverine community”, he disclosed.
“This morning, we gather not just to turn sod, but to turn a new page of Moruca – a page that tells the story of transformation, empowerment and partnership. When I look at all of you: farmers, teachers, entrepreneurs, young people and elders, I do not just see a community; I see a family, a strong, united family; and like my good family, we must work together if we are to grow and thrive. You see, development is not something the Government does for you, it is something we do with you. It is a partnership; it is a collective; it is working together. Onward, upward may we ever go,” he added.

Investments
President Ali outlined the Government’s broader investments in Region One, amounting to more than $52 billion over the past four years. These include $7 billion in education, $2 billion in housing, and $5 billion in healthcare, including the Moruca hospital.
He cited initiatives such as the “Because We Care” cash grant, which injected $1.8 billion into families’ pockets; and $230 million for school supplies to ensure teachers and students are well-equipped.
Meanwhile, almost $800 million has been invested in natural resources; more than $1.7 billion in the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission; $2 billion in the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security; and $25 billion at the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development.
Further, $38 million was expended on Tourism in the region, $2 billion on housing, and more than $1.6 billion on Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI).