Guyanese doctors to get Int’l experience to strengthen health sector

Through an agreement with the nonprofit organisation Northwell Health, Guyanese doctors would get opportunity to gain international experience and then return to the country and use their newfound knowledge and skills to strengthen the local healthcare sector.
During a recent interview, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony explained that the Guyana Government is currently partnering with several countries and organisations to strengthen the local health sector.
He said the most recent engagement was with a delegation from Mount Sinai just two weeks ago, and the two sides had constructive talks.
“That collaboration is an ongoing one, and they will be helping us with some very specific interventions in the health sector. We also have a partnership with the hospital chain Northwell from the state of New York, and we have signed an agreement with Northwell that allows us to do a number of things.
“…they will be able to send doctors to Guyana to work in Guyana, while we will be able to send some of our doctors over to the US so that they can participate in observerships”, he explained.
Northwell Health is a nonprofit integrated healthcare network that is New York State’s largest healthcare provider and private employer, with more than 74,000 employees in 2020.
Meanwhile, the Health Minister noted that the initiative would help both partners to share experiences and new techniques that are available within medicine.
“For Northwell, they have established what they call a global centre here, and so they will be working closely with us in different areas, to help us to develop the health system here,” he explained.
Dr Anthony has also said the international doctors would not be stationed only at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, but would be posted at regional hospitals as well.
“They were here a few weeks ago, and they have persons from Northwell who are still in Guyana and are on a more longer-term basis. So, we will be having these short-term visits, but we will have physicians and other specialists who would stay on for a longer period…as long as three months or six months,” he said.
“They will also be working in specific departments, giving us advice and guiding us and so forth”, he said.
The Government is also partnering with Harvard University in the United States of America to conduct a study on malaria.
Only recently, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, announced that Guyana’s health sector would see a $73B injection for 2022.
This is a part of the Government’s drive to build a modern, world-class healthcare system in Guyana.
The intention, according to the Minister, is not only to ensure the country’s health system meets the needs of Guyanese, but also to transform health into an export service through medical tourism.

Covid-19 update
On that note, the country continues to see a decline in the numbers of COVID-19 cases.
As at Wednesday, Guyana recorded six new cases of the novel coronavirus, taking the total positives detected to date to 53,208.
There is one person in the ICU, 12 in institutional isolation, 104 in home isolation, and 14 in institutional quarantine.
Recoveries stand at 61,865, while the death toll remains at 1,226. (G9)