New location likely as GPHC to be re-developed into modern, standalone facility

…US$161M contract to be signed for new New Amsterdam Hospital

By Devina Samaroo

In what might be the largest-ever health project in the Caribbean, the Guyana Government is working on a plan to re-develop the country’s premier public healthcare institution – the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) – into a modern, standalone facility which could see the new state-of-the-art building being moved to a different location.

Fragmented, inefficient
The GPHC currently occupies an entire block in Georgetown that is bordered by New Market, Lamaha, Thomas and East Streets, with several auxiliary arms situated in close proximity.
The hospital’s oldest section, the Seaman’s Ward, was constructed in the 1800s, but over the years, there have been various additions and upgrades, creating a structure that is considered to be fragmented and inefficient.
But with the Government on a mission to develop a world-class healthcare sector, this situation needs to change.
“Plans are underway to re-develop the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) with a new standalone hospital, which is likely to be the biggest-ever health project in Caricom,” President Dr Irfaan Ali announced on Wednesday during a press conference.

New location
While no other information on this initiative was provided during the press conference, <<<Guyana Times>>> was reliably informed that authorities were currently developing concepts for the new hospital.
After the conceptual plan is completed, Cabinet will have to make certain decisions.

“Whether to stay on site and build upwards or to go to another site…Government will have to make that decision after technical people put together concepts for the new hospital,” this publication was informed.
Whatever the case, it was noted that the current infrastructural configuration of the GPHC needs to be improved.
“[Currently, there are] different services at different places. Therefore, there isn’t an efficient flow for patients…often we have to move patients from Accidents and Emergency through the compound before we get to a ward because of the fragmented nature of the campus,” an official close to the initiative disclosed.
“We want to put a single building that houses all the clinical areas with an efficient and effective flow of the services…it will be a new building no matter what…for example, we can build a 10-storey building [at the current site] or whether we want to move site…once the concept designs are done, then the Government/Cabinet will decide.”

Achievements
The GPHC recorded 272,322 patient contacts in 2022. Over the years, the hospital has made significant strides to provide competitive healthcare services.
Cardiac surgeries are now being provided in large numbers with more than 250 interventional treatments for heart disease conducted each month at the GPHC, with plans afoot to commence regular open-heart surgeries for adults this year.
Paediatric cardiac surgeries are now being regularly offered at the GPHC, with 12 patients so far benefiting this year and with plans to increase this number to more than 40 per year from 2024.
Meanwhile, child mortality has slowly improved and is now the lowest it has ever been in the country’s history at 13 per 1000 births versus 19 per 1000 births in 2020. Maternal mortality has improved to its lowest ever at 96 per 10,000 deliveries versus 170 per 10,000 deliveries in 2017.

New Amsterdam
Meanwhile, a US$161 million contract is to be signed very shortly for the construction of a new hospital in New Amsterdam, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).
It was previously reported that the new facility will be furnished with cutting-edge technology, enabling the provision of critical medical procedures, including open heart, kidney transplant, and pancreatic surgeries, which are currently unavailable at the New Amsterdam Regional Hospital.
Construction is expected to begin this year.
Meanwhile, when that new institution comes into operation, the old facility will be repurposed, with a portion to be dedicated to a new Psychiatric Hospital.

Other hospitals
Among Government’s other plans to transform the healthcare sector is the construction of a €149 million Paediatric and Maternal Hospital at Goedverwagting, East Coast Demerara.
The facility, which will be financed by the United Kingdom’s export credit agency – UK Export Finance (UKEF), will be built and equipped in two-years’ time by Austria-based Vamed Engineering. It will feature 256 beds and will be a referral centre for women and children. It will specialise in maternal, neonatal, and paediatric care with a huge imaging suite for services such as CT scans and MRIs, a modern laboratory, and surgical suites.
Six new regional hospitals are also being constructed. They will be located at Anna Regina, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); De Kinderen, Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara); Bath, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice); Number 75 Village, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne); and one at Diamond and another at Enmore in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica). These hospitals will be constructed by China National Pharmaceutical Group Corporation, a Chinese State-owned enterprise commonly referred to as Sinopharm. It was reported that each hospital will be 65,000 square feet and will be equipped with 75 hospital beds. When completed, patients will no longer have to travel to the GPHC to receive medical care, but can be assured of quality care while in their own region.
Moreover, several hinterland regions will soon benefit from new state-of-the-art hospitals, financed through the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), for which a US$97 million loan was secured by the Guyana Government in December 2022.
They will be located in Moruca, Region One (Barima-Waini); Kamarang, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni); Kato, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni); and Lethem, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Essequibo). The funds will also be used to upgrade the Linden Hospital in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).
All other existing hinterland hospitals outside of Mabaruma, Port Kaituma, Mahdia, Paramakatoi, Annai, and Kwakwani are scheduled for major upgrades between 2024 and 2026 while oxygen plants are being established in all hinterland hospitals.
The Bartica Regional Hospital will also be reconstructed, with works slated to begin before year-end and completed in 2025. Plans are also underway to reconstruct the West Demerara Regional Hospital and to upgrade the hospitals at Suddie, Port Mourant, Mahaicony, and Mibicuri.