Guyana’s public healthcare model to be adopted in C’bean, Africa – CEO HeDPAC

In a bid to bolster the self-sufficiency and individual capacity of countries in the Caribbean and Africa, the Guyana Government has agreed to engage in information exchange with nations interested in adopting the country’s public healthcare model.
This initiative, which is being pursued in collaboration with the Health Development Partnership for Africa and the Caribbean (HeDPAC), coincides with the administration’s commitment to fostering development with its partners.
HeDPAC is a health development platform operating between the African and Caribbean Regions with the aim to strengthen South-South partnerships to build institutional capacity within and between the regions, in order to collectively address pressing health challenges.
In an exclusive interview with this publication, HeDPAC’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Halie Getahun revealed that works are underway for the models of Guyana’s Community Health Worker and Telemedicine programmes to be transferred to other nations.
Dr. Getahun, who recently concluded his visit here, highlighted that implementing the models in other Caribbean and African nations would allow these countries to boost access to healthcare by bridging the divide between cities and far-flung areas.

“The overall purpose, our vision, is actually to have universal health coverage to be the ultimate goal for every citizen in the two regions, Africa and Caribbean; which I had the privilege actually to witness in my last two days of visit in this country, where you actually provide health coverage free of charge to every citizen. And also, to see this ambitious vision of advancing your health sector and health service, which actually was impressive that a lot of countries can take a lesson,” Dr Getahun has said.
“So HEDPAC, the organization I’m heading, will harvest those excellent experiences that we were able to witness in Guyana, so that other countries in the region as well as in Africa will also benefit. (4:17) So we create that platform for exchange of best practices, so that countries learn between themselves and also from each other,” he added.
Guyana’s Community Health Workers programme equips participants with the competencies required to deliver quality healthcare services in their respective communities. As a result, these workers are mandated to undergo rigorous training over a specific period before they are certified to serve.
Meanwhile, the telemedicine programme allows Community Health Workers (CHWs) and Medexes across the country to interact in real-time with patients and healthcare providers at different sites.
The telemedicine centres are supported by audio and video equipment, and have integrated medical devices that allow healthcare workers to diagnose, evaluate, and treat patients remotely.
To complement this, these sites are outfitted with computers, satellite technology, digital stethoscopes, pulse oximeters, infrared thermometers, blood pressure monitors, mobile ultrasonography, exam cameras, and other equipment.
As a result, citizens can access a wide range of specialised medical services, such as ultrasound, cardiology, and oncology, among other services.
According to Dr. Getahun, the organization HeDPAC plans to merge these programs with the country’s Smart Hospitals initiative in order to optimize its effectiveness.
“As I said, the immense political leadership to advance and revolutionize the health sector and the number of hospitals that are going to be built, what they call smart hospitals — I have (had) the privilege also to visit actually two hospitals that are under construction — the vision is incredibly impressive, and can actually give lessons for several countries. And then the universal, free-of-charge service starting from a trivial common infection into sophisticated organ transplantation, that vision is incredibly impressive! That could be helpful for other countries to follow through. So, as HEDPAC, we are really trying to take that lesson and facilitate that exchange of best practice with other countries,” Dr Getahun has said.