Continuing improvement and expansion in healthcare

Dear Editor,
The sceptics can doubt if they want to, but it is well-established that fighting kidney related health problem is a very mammoth undertaking, personally and governmentally, and most times, the cost is quite prohibitive for many, even in the supposed well-developed countries.
On this note, and this can be checked too, it is that the cost of dialysis in the US is very high, with Medicare paying about $99,325 per person per year for hemodialysis in 2021 and $86,976 for peritoneal dialysis. Annual costs for patients can range from $40,000 to over $100,000, though Medicare covers most of these costs for eligible patients. Private insurance generally pays even more for dialysis services. The fact I want to establish here is that we are talking ‘big money.’
Imagine how delighted I am then to read that “A total of 15 new dialysis units will come into operation in the public healthcare system before the end of the year.” This was the news of welcome from President Dr Irfaan Ali, on Tuesday, during his first press conference in his second term in office. The details show that “… the stations will be established in Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Five (Mahaica-Berbice), Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).”
This must breathe a ‘sigh of relief’ from many quarters and understandably so, as dialysis can extend the lifespan of people with kidney failure, with average life expectancies of 5 to 10 years, though many live much longer, some for 20-30 years or more, depending on various factors like age, overall health, and the type of dialysis they receive. We know it is not a cure, but dialysis is a life-sustaining treatment that replaces the filtering function of failed kidneys, allowing patients to live with kidney failure for a significantly longer period than they would without treatment. I know of many, who simply lost hope when the dreaded diagnostic reports were studied.
These were folks of not too long ago who needed dialysis because of kidney failure (end-stage renal disease) or acute kidney injury (AKI), as their kidneys were no longer able to effectively filter waste and excess fluid from the blood. Without adequacy of funds, to travel and seek intervention, and Guyana at that time not in a position to meet the need, the reality was ‘early demise.’ But look at this turn-around, as “We (Government of Guyana) have added dialysis stations in every one of the six new hospitals. In addition to that, before the end of this year, we will have 15 additional dialysis units operational. I think that is also a tremendous improvement that we are advancing in the early days of our government.” I fully agree with this pronouncement from the Guyana Head of State.
He elaborated that “… this decision was made after it was brought to his attention that there is a need for more stations across the country (that was) during the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) manifesto consultations ahead of the recently concluded September 1 General and Regional Elections.” Now with the PPP/C’s retaining governance, this timely input just further enhances the ‘seriousness in delivering’ as per its manifesto, allowing for the party to generate growing and wide-spread confidence from all segments of the population.
Editor, where the World Health Organization (WHO) is concerned, it recognizes that global dialysis access is unequal, with high-income countries having greater access and lower-income countries facing significant challenges due to cost, workforce, and infrastructure limitations. In a 2025 WHO resolution, the goal “… aims to reduce the burden of chronic kidney disease by promoting prevention and integrating kidney health into noncommunicable disease agendas. Efforts by the WHO and its partners, like the International Society of Nephrology (ISN), focus on developing frameworks, advocating for public policy, and sharing knowledge to improve sustainable and equitable access to kidney care worldwide.”
Honestly, this seems too long-term and complicated. Guyana is in a welcoming fast-track mode, and I have great hope that this will get bigger and better.

Yours truly,
Hargesh B. Singh