All new hospitals to have dialysis machines in them – MP

– says kidney patients being provided with consistent Govt support

In addition to the $600,000 per patient financial support provided to dialysis patients, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government will be ensuring that each of the new regional hospitals being built in various parts of the country, are outfitted with dialysis machines.
This was explained by Government Member of Parliament Sanjeev Datadin, during the start of budget debates on Friday.
During his presentation, Datadin debunked some inaccuracies put forward by the opposition debaters who came before him. One of those inaccuracies was that under the former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government, dialysis treatments were free.

“Dialysis was not free under APNU. What happened under APNU, was a $300,000 one off payment was given to persons who required dialysis. Under this Government, $600,000 per year is given to each person who requires the assistance, 550 people benefit from that; there is a lab set up to do the test and provide associated chemicals and medicine,” he countered.
“Dialysis centres are in Georgetown, on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD), Region Two, Region Three, Region Six, Region 10. And all of the new hospitals are going to have dialysis in them. The thing about this is, this was published. The centres, the assistance, the places people could go. This was published in the newspapers,” Datadin said.
The PPP/C Government has made clear its objective of ensuring high-quality healthcare for all Guyanese.
In 2024, the Government sought to train more nurses, build more modern health facilities and tackle chronic diseases that affect thousands of people annually.
Guyana’s public health sector received a whopping $129.8 billion budgetary allocation, the largest budgetary allocation ever for the sector.
Out of this budget, $10.3 billion was allocated towards the paediatric and maternal hospital at Ogle.
Another $15.5 billion was allocated for the construction of six regional hospitals at Bath, De Kinderen, Diamond, Enmore, Lima and the No. 75 Village.
And in the 2025 budget, the health sector received an increased allocation of $143 billion.
November last, President Ali and Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony had visited one of the regional hospitals under construction: the $6.6 billion Enmore Regional Hospital, on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD).

During the site visit, it was noted by the contractor, China’s Sinopharm International, that the superstructure is complete and works are progressing on the state-of-the-art operating rooms, operating theatres, outpatient clinics, various laboratories and the 24-hour accident and emergency area, among others.
The hospital will possess ultrasound machines and 75 beds, which will see Guyanese accessing emergency care, diagnostic imaging, laboratory services, and surgical care, among others.
The hospital, along with the others, are expected to be completed by early 2025.
Progress is also being made on the hospitals at Lima in Region Two, De Kinderen in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) and No. 75 Village in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), which are all scheduled for completion within the first quarter of this year.
With these new healthcare facilities opening up, the Government had emphasised the need to attract more personnel to the industry.
Back in July, Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, had stated that the next step for the Government is to address the challenge of having adequate human resources to effectively manage the new facilities, citing the possibility of employing medical professionals from other countries.