Govt committed to healthcare for all, regardless of nationality – Dr Anthony

…says influx of immigrants crossing border to access services not a burden

As the Government works to enhance the healthcare system, the country’s medical sector has gained traction from the international community with a number of individuals from neighbouring country’s crossing the nation’s borders to access vital healthcare services.

This was revealed by Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony during a recent appearance on the Guyana Dialogue programme. The Health Minister was asked about the Government’s stance on the recent influx of immigrants that have been entering the country over the years. In his response, Dr Anthony noted that the Peoples Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration is keen on providing assistance to persons regardless of their nationality.
“The Government of Guyana, regardless of whatever your status is here, if you require healthcare and you come to any one of our facilities, we deliver that healthcare to you; and that has been our policy, and it has helped quite a lot of people…And I think it’s the right thing to do,” Minister Anthony has said.
In Guyana, migrants, including Venezuelans, have access to healthcare through both public and private sectors, with the Government emphasizing no discrimination in access to services. The Government, along with international organizations like United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), provides healthcare services, including mobile healthcare and support for vulnerable populations.
According to the Health Minister, the country’s border health facilities have seen a significant number of migrants coming in to access medical services. In fact, the minister highlighted that persons from Brazil often visit the Lethem Hospital for surgical procedures.
“And it might surprise you that the border that we have with Brazil, for example, we see persons coming across the border now to access surgical care at the Lethem Hospital. So we have improved it in such a way that now Brazilians are coming across to access care in Guyana.”
He added, “So it tells you that people are now very confident with the quality of care that they can access in Guyana, and I think that’s a proud moment for all of us. Because it used to be – for many years, it used to be the other way around – where people would want to leave Guyana to go to the other side to access care.”
Moreover, the Health Minister noted that the recent influx of immigrants does not currently pose any risk to the country’s health sector. However, Dr. Anthony revealed that if these numbers jump to an alarming amount in the future, the Government would have to explore alternative avenues to manage the situation.
“At least now it’s not an overwhelming burden, and we can take care of it at this point. Maybe in the future, if it becomes too much, then we’ll have to revisit the policy,” he explained.
Meanwhile, in Guyana’s Budget 2025, the health sector secured a substantial allocation of $143.2 billion, a 357.1% increase from 2019.
Of that sum, significant amounts have been set aside to build, complete, and upgrade new hospitals and other facilities; further expand the equipment inventory; and train more professionals in this sector.
Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh, during his presentation of the 2025 National Budget, said that altogether, the aim is to improve the quality of health care provided.