President Ali inspects progress on $6.6B Enmore Regional Hospital
…internal works progressing
Government’s objective of ensuring high-quality healthcare for all Guyanese is steadily coming to fruition, with smooth progress being made on the Enmore Regional Hospital, East Coast Demerara (ECD).
On Monday, President Dr Irfaan Ali and Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony inspected the $6.6 billion Enmore Regional Hospital, East Coast of Demerara.
During the site visit, it was noted by the contractor China’s Sinopharm International that the superstructure is complete and works are progressing on the state-of-the-art operating rooms, operating theatres, outpatient clinics, various laboratories and the 24-hour accident and emergency area, among others.
The Enmore Regional Hospital is one of several regional hospitals being constructed across Guyana as part of the government’s effort to improve the country’s healthcare system.
It will possess ultrasound machines and 75 beds, which will Guyanese accessing emergency care, diagnostic imaging, laboratory services, and surgical care, among others.
The hospital, along with the others, are expected to be completed by early 2025.
With these new healthcare facilities opening up, the government had emphasised the need to attract more personnel to the industry.
Only back in July, General Secretary of the ruling People’s Progressive Party, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, had stated that the next step for the government is to address the challenge of having adequate human resources to effectively manage the new facilities, citing the possibility of employing medical professionals from other countries.
This, he reminded, is aside from the Government’s intention to train as many Guyanese in the medical field.
“We are already looking into how we staff these hospitals because we can’t just complete the hospitals. We have to now get people to run these hospitals. And therefore, that’s a big challenge now. And we may have to recruit people from abroad, apart from training our own people. And that’s why we keep seeing as many people who want to go into training in the medical field. We will pay for them to be trained too, like nurses, nursing aides, and stuff like that,” the PPP General Secretary had explained.
Progress is underway for hospitals at Lima in Region Two, De Kinderen in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) and No. 75 Village in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) which are all scheduled for completion within the first quarter of next year.
Of the $129.8 billion in budgetary provision allocated to the Health Ministry this year, $15.5 billion has catered for construction of regional hospitals. (G1)