“Guyana must embrace the future of medicine” – Dr Anthony

Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony has echoed a call to embrace the future of medicine amid the conclusion of a 21-day training programme on digital healthcare co-organised by the Academy for International Business Officials (AIBO), MOFCOM and Sinopharm.
According to Dr Anthony, the Ministry of Health is working to ensure that medical personnel are adequately trained to operate various new pieces of equipment set to be installed at new hospitals constructed through Guyana’s partnership with the Government of China and Sinopharm.

“We thought that this is going to be important, where we can bring people together outside of the hospital environment for a little bit, and we can have these types of training, and then you go back and you can do some of the practical things. And with that in mind, Sinopharm and the Ministry of Commerce in China have organised this particular training. As you heard, it’s going to be for 21 days.”
To top it off, Dr Anthony said the introduction of electronic health record systems will significantly strengthen Guyana’s digital health system by improving the availability and management of healthcare data.
He explained that much of the research currently conducted at local research conferences relies on case reviews, which require researchers to manually go through patient files. However, missing files and incomplete documentation can make the process difficult and limit the usefulness of the available information.
Dr Anthony said the Ministry wants to change this through the use of electronic health records, which would allow healthcare data to be properly stored and easily retrieved for research purposes – an area in which this training will assist in.
“So digital health is a very important component, and we have to work to make sure that it’s fully deployed in our respective hospitals. That’s one area of how we want to work directly with our patients, get patient information, and help to better manage our patients. But we also have, if we are going to be doing good work for our patients, it means that hospital systems have to work properly.”
According to him, one of the challenges the Ministry of Health faces when doing things manually is that it is sometimes unable to properly quantify how much medication, reagents, consumables and other supplies are being used, which can result in breaks in supply.
He said the Ministry is hoping to put digital systems in place to better predict the types and quantities of supplies needed and ensure they are delivered on time.
However, he noted that for these systems to work properly, the Ministry must also manage the human input involved.
He explained that if the information entered into the system is inaccurate or incomplete, the results generated will also be unreliable. Therefore, if staff do not use the system properly, it will not produce the intended benefits.

Partnership
Meanwhile, a representative of China Sinopharm International Corporation, Cui Jiao, provided information on the 21-day training programme and highlighted the benefits it will offer to participants.
Cui Jiao said the seminar stemmed from a key consensus reached between Guyana and China during the implementation of the Six Regional Hospital Project.
He explained that following the delivery of advanced hardware facilities, leveraging digital solutions to achieve interconnection, efficient operation and lean management of those facilities remains a core challenge that both sides must explore together. She added that this is the main focus of the seminar.
“Over the 21 days ahead, we will deliver training through a combination of thematic lectures and on-site teaching, focusing on core topics including telemedicine, digital management of medical equipment and supplies, and hospital information system construction and data application. We will share China’s practical experience in relevant fields and sincerely look forward to hearing your local operational insights. As you have the deepest understanding of the actual needs of Guyana’s healthcare system, your feedback will also be a valuable asset to this seminar.”
Meanwhile, Chinese Ambassador to Guyana Yang Yang said China remains committed to working on the programme to enhance the effective use of technology, particularly as more digital initiatives are being undertaken in Guyana’s health sector.
She posited that digital and intelligent technologies are rapidly reshaping healthcare and hospital management. “Nowadays digital and intelligent technologies are reshaping healthcare and hospital management at a rapid pace. China is ready to build on this seminar and deepen cooperation with Guyana in healthcare, human resource development and digital technology. We will continue to support the training of local professionals and help bring people, technology and facilities together more effectively.”