Sod turns for $6.5B Lethem Hospital and Tabatinga Secondary School

…as Govt look towards transformative services for Region 9
…IDB rep lauds Govt for investments in improving services to citizens

The Government on Sunday turned the sod on two transformative projects in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), including a $6.5 billion hospital at Lethem and a Secondary School at Tabatinga.
According to President Dr Irfaan Ali, who was on hand for the sod-turning at both locations, the region will be getting a world-class hospital and school, on par with the ones coastal dwellers are able to access. This will eliminate the need for residents to travel out of the region to access such services.
“You know how I told you just now that since we came into Government, we spent about $8 billion in health care? In the last three and a half, we spent $8 billion. But this hospital that we turn the sod for today, is almost what we spent the last four years, almost $6.5 Billion, we will invest in this one hospital.”
“This hospital will give you two fully functioning operation rooms, a modern ER with a procedure room for minor surgery, diagnostic imaging services, digital X-Ray, you’ll get an image on your phone, portable X-Ray, a CT machine and three ultrasound machines. Laboratory services, outpatient specialised clinics, pharmacy services. Two dialysis chairs,” he said.

Other new additions to the hospital include a digital health control room, a pediatric unit, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and maternity wing. Further, he revealed that a specialist group will be arriving from Qatar, to help the Government in clearing the backlog of patients waiting for cardiac surgeries.
“And you know what they’re coming to do? When people ask what we do when we go to all these meetings (around the world)? They’re coming to help us to zero all the outstanding cardiac surgeries that we have in Guyana, starting with paediatric cardiac surgeries. So, the next six months, we’re going to work with our partners to zero the cardiac waiting list in the country, starting with paediatric surgeries.”
“But I don’t want us to add to that list when it’s zero. That is why (preventative) healthcare is so important. That is why public health education is so important. We now have to change our lifestyle to avoid such services,” the Head of State pointed out.

More staff
A bigger hospital means the need for more staff and according to Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony, the Government has been working on expanding the batches of trainees in the region, to keep up with this demand.
“One of the things that we used to do was pick two or three persons, take them out to Georgetown, train them there and then send them back into the region. But by doing that, we were never able to train enough people.”
“So, we reverse the process and what we have done now is that we are bringing the teachers from Georgetown and they are working here in the region, so we can train a larger batch of persons in these different fields. And we are seeing the results of the training,” he explained.
Education
Meanwhile, it was explained by Minister of Education Priya Manickchand that the secondary school for which the sod was being turned, is only one of five secondary school that the Government plans to build in the region. The Minister contrasted the different approaches between the PPP/C Government and the former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government.
“In 2020, when I came here, we went across this region and we spoke and listened to you. You said to me a couple of things. I remember residents bringing their notebooks and making notes about what we said we would do,” Manickchand said.
“At that time, the then Government, realising that an election was imminent, they sent in people to dig wells and hook you up with internet. All of that happened when they knew they would need your votes. And you know who brought that to my attention? You.”
Manickchand recounted that among the top issues the Region Nine residents had raised with Government, were their ability to access healthcare and world class education, right in the region. As she put it, “we listened to you and we heard you.”

IDB
The efforts the Government has been making in the health care sector was meanwhile recognised by Inter-American Development bank (IDB) Country Representative Lorena Solórzano Salazar, who was present at the occasion and expressed her support for the initiatives. Importantly, the IDB has been financing the construction of hospitals across Guyana under a US$97 million loan to strengthen Guyana’s health care network.
“We look forward to the day when we will return for the (commissioning) of the hospital and also the others, where people across the regions will benefit from improved access to healthcare,” Salazar said.
“Let me commend you, honorable President of Guyana, for your vision and leadership in this transformative journey. And to you, Minister Anthony, for your dedication in advancing healthcare in Guyana,” she added.
The contract for the secondary school at Tabatinga, was awarded in September by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) to QA Civil Works. Meanwhile, at present a €149 million Paediatric and Maternal Hospital is being constructed at Ogle, East Coast Demerara (ECD).
There is also the US$161 million new hospital that will be built in New Amsterdam. And in addition to the hospital being built in Lethem, other hospitals being constructed in the hinterland regions include ones in Moruca, Kamarang and Kato.