Healthcare investments show 700% increase in patient aid, care – Pres Ali

…early cancer detection, free dialysis, more hearing aids & eye care upgrades

The Government has intensified its healthcare efforts following the detection of 203 prostate cancer cases in men and 2,000 cervical cancer cases in women in 2024.
Recognising the growing prevalence of these cancers, President Dr Irfaan Ali has committed to expanding screening and treatment programmes nationwide.
In 2024, a comprehensive cervical cancer screening initiative was launched, providing sufficient data to guide public healthcare expenditure. So far, 12,000 women between the ages of 21 and 65 have undergone cervical cancer testing, with results indicating a 17 per cent positive rate, translating to over 2,040 confirmed cases.

For men, prostate cancer screening has also expanded significantly. In 2024, over 13,688 Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) tests were conducted, revealing that 19 per cent of the tested individuals had elevated PSA levels. Of those, 536 underwent biopsies, with a staggering 38 per cent testing positive for prostate cancer.
During a live broadcast on Thursday, President Ali urged citizens to prioritise being screened at an early age in an effort to boost access to preventable and treatable methods.
“These things are treatable with early detection and it also reduces public health expenditure in the long term if we can detect early, if we can avoid. So we are working now to have a national programme with Mount Sinai because the technology is also advancing where we can roll out this, where we can roll out this and other tests that are applicable, that are high risk and applicable to us on a national scale so that our public health expenditure now and in the future can be properly aligned to these statistics that I’ve just given,” the Head of State said.
Beyond cancer care, healthcare investments have led to a 700 per cent increase in the number of patients benefiting from the Government’s assistance programme
According to the Head of State, in 2019, only 684 patients received hearing aids but in 2024, this number had risen to nearly 3,000.
Additionally, dialysis treatment has expanded significantly, with over 550 patients now receiving free treatment across multiple regions, compared to just 64 patients in 2019.
“These are the results of a health care system that is delivering a world-class health care system that is not only looking at diagnostics but it’s looking at treatment, prevention because we want a healthy population,” Ali stated.
Eye care has also seen substantial improvements. In 2024 alone, 68,320 eye tests were completed, and nearly 55,000 individuals received free prescription glasses. Furthermore, cataract surgeries have surged from just 16 procedures between 2015 and 2020 to 3,665 surgeries at Port Morant Hospital in the past four years.
President Ali has reaffirmed Government’s dedication to providing a world-class healthcare system that prioritises prevention, early detection, and treatment.
He noted that the expansion of regional medical facilities, increased accessibility to diagnostic tools, and commitment to free treatment programmes highlights the administration’s proactive approach to improving public health outcomes.