Sinopharm among plethora of investors lined up for local health sector

…UK, Austrian Govt also submit investment proposals

With a number of foreign investors, ranging from the State to the Private Sector to the manufacturers of COVID-19 vaccines, who have expressed interest in investing in local health facilities, the future of healthcare service in Guyana looks promising.

President Dr Irfaan Ali recommissioned the Lethem Regional hospital into a US$4.1 million SMART facility. While there on Friday, the President spoke of other developments in healthcare, specifically, the investors who have been submitting proposals for health facilities.
“We have two local health providers that are already speaking with partners globally, to be part of their system to develop this type of healthcare. And its tertiary healthcare. Oncology, every single segment within the healthcare system. From the highest level come down, will be provided.”
“So, we have Mount Sinai as part of the discussion going on. We have a group out of Houston that have brought in a US$250 million project for tertiary healthcare at the highest possible level. Those two have already come in,” the President explained.
Additionally, Ali said that the British Government through a private financing arm has already submitted a proposal for a facility that features children and maternal health. He also spoke of the Austrian Government, whose Head of State Alexander Van Der Bellen he had met on the side lines of the United Nations conference last month.

Sinopharm
According to President Ali, the Austrian Government has also submitted a proposal for a children and maternity hospital. Another potential investor he mentioned was Sinopharm, the Chinese State-owned manufacturer of the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine.
“We have the Austrian Government, submitting a proposal for a children and maternity hospital. Then we have Sinopharm, who would have also submitted a proposal. Outside of that, we have at least six other proposals from the Private Sector, dealing with private healthcare. All aimed at making Guyana a hub for the provision of world class healthcare at the private level,” he said.
The President noted that the PPP Government ultimately wants to build world class health system good enough to attract medical tourism. This is reminiscent of the specialty hospital the Donald Ramotar Administration had initiated the construction of, with the hopes of it becoming a catalyst in creating the much needed “health tourism” in Guyana by pulling foreigners and overseas-based Guyanese to the country.
With a US$18 million line of credit (LOC) from the India Export/Import (EXIM) Bank, the contract for construction of the hospital was awarded to India-based company, Surendra Engineering Corporation Limited back in 2012.
However, citing instances of alleged fraud and delays, the Ramotar Government in 2014 announced that it had terminated the contract with the India-based company and subsequently filed a lawsuit against it for failing to honour its obligations.
The India-funded project went nowhere from 2015 to 2020. However, Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr KJ Srinivasa has previously said that a specialty hospital could still be on the cards.
At least one local company, Cardiology Services Incorporated, headed by renowned Guyanese Cardiologist Dr Mahendra Carpen, has also publicly indicated its interest in building a specialty hospital in Guyana.

SMART hospitals
When it comes to the Lethem hospital, President Ali said that further upgrades will be done on the hospital. This is in keeping with his Government’s nationwide vision for Guyana’s health sector. And it will be done within the next five years.
“This Lethem hospital would have a further conversion. This phase will be what we are going to build a modern facility here in Lethem, with the best surgical wings you can find with good accommodation for patients. All this will happen in next five years,” President Ali said.
This is the second hospital to be recommissioned under the SMART Hospital initiative. It was only in April of this year that the Diamond Diagnostic Hospital in Region Four was recommissioned.
The “SMART Hospital” concept comes under an $835 million fund by the former United Kingdom Department for International Development and implemented by the Pan American Health Organisation’s Department of Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Relief with the Health Ministry.
Four other hospitals at Leonora, Mabaruma, Paramakatoi and Lethem are to be upgraded under this project. It addresses the negative footprints that contribute to climate change by simply modifying operations. (G3)