Healthcare workers to get free day care services, other benefits – Pres Ali

President Dr Irfaan Ali has assured healthcare workers that even while his government builds a world class healthcare system, they (healthcare workers) themselves would not be left behind, but would rather also have their welfare taken care of.

The Head of State made this announcement on Tuesday, during the extension of the National Health Care Initiative agreement with Mount Sinai. This means that healthcare workers would benefit from increased wages and improved working conditions.
President Ali has also assured that systems would be put in place to enable health care workers to benefit from free daycare facilities and be able to do their jobs with 100 per cent commitment and peace of mind.
“To our healthcare workers: we know the tireless hours that you put into your job, and we’re also working to ensure that, by 2030, our healthcare system will provide child-friendly daycare services for you – many of you who are women professionals in our healthcare system and still have to carry the great responsibility of supporting your children,” he expressed.
“These are all services that we’re going to integrate into our healthcare service to ensure that you, too, the healthcare professionals, are taken care of in this equation; so that you can provide the best service every single day of your life,” President Ali also said.
According to the President, under the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government, Guyana’s healthcare workers would be among the best paid and trained in the region.
Extending gratitude to Hess Corporation and Mount Sinai for making this dream possible, the President said,
“Central to achieving this vision, as I said, is our healthcare workforce. You must be the best trained, you must be paid well and most respected in this region. And I mean that! You must become the most respected in this region. When we invest in our medical professionals, we invest in every Guyanese life. By 2030, healthcare in Guyana will not just be a service, it will be our nation’s proudest achievement, guaranteeing hope, dignity and worldclass care for generations to come.”
Government has been exploring international partnerships in order to revolutionise healthcare in Guyana. For instance, the Government has had discussions with Northwell on improving emergency healthcare in the country. Northwell Health is a non-profit integrated healthcare service that is considered New York’s largest healthcare provider.
In addition to Northwell, the PPP/C Government has been collaborating with the United States-based Mount Sinai Health System. With their support, Guyana would this year commence work to establish a modern oncology centre that would screen and treat breast, cervical, prostate and other common cancers that cause the most deaths in Guyana.
Additionally, with Tuesday’s signing of the five-year extension, Phase II of the National Healthcare Initiative, work would also include the continued modernization of national health facilities, including the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).
For instance, a national programme would be implemented to improve the quality, safety and delivery of health services from the GPHC, the country’s largest hospital, to regional hospitals and to every health centre and post. These initiatives would provide a strong foundation for the growth of a high-quality, modern health system that provides unparalleled care for all.
Phase II would also cater for implementation of one of the world’s most advanced digital health systems – Guyana’s first national electronic health records system, which would complete the foundation for one of the most advanced digital health systems in the region and the world by 2030.
The Guyana Government has also been enhancing its telemedicine initiative to transform it into a world-class system integrated with international healthcare providers. The move forms part of Government’s holistic efforts to modernise the healthcare sector through technology.
Currently, 84 telemedicine sites are in operation, particularly in hinterland communities. These sites are equipped with audio and video technology, and integrated medical devices that enable clinicians to evaluate, diagnose, and treat patients remotely.