Dear Editor,
The tropical rain overnight and early morning threatened to dampen the opening ceremony of the Bath Memorial Hospital later in the day (July 30th). But nature intervened; the rain stopped around 11am, and the sun showered its radiant rays onto the state-of-the-art Bath Memorial Hospital. Across 4 separate large tents that were filled to capacity, the 5000 crowd became part of a history-making event.
Bath Hospital is situated between the villages of Experiment on the east and Catherina’s Lust on the west. The major adjacent village to the east of Experiment is Bath Settlement, and to the west is Hopetown. Bath Hospital is one of six regional hospitals being built by the Guyana Government. It will serve the estimated 54,000 residents of Region 5, which is also one of the largest agriculture-producing areas in Guyana.
The regional hospitals already built and commissioned by the PPP/C Government are Diamond, Enmore, and Bath. Those still under construction are at Tuschen, Lima, and Skeldon, and these are expected to be completed in a few months’ time.
Each hospital is equipped with CT, an X-ray laboratory, and operating theatres. 24-hour emergency services, dialysis machine, ICU, and 24-hour pharmacy. There are over 70 beds at the Bath hospital, and patients would enjoy privacy and have access to an inside washroom. At the end of the program, the crowd was invited and taken on a conducted tour to see for themselves these facilities. They were fascinated to witness first-hand this healthcare transformation.
Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony delivered the opening address, in which he spoke glowingly about the advance in healthcare throughout the country within the last 5 years. He said that prior to 2020, in some hospitals like Mahaicony and Wellington, equipment was malfunctioning and unserviceable. When the PPP/C took office in 2020, they replaced those with new equipment.
The president praised Dr Anthony and the ministry’s staff, as well as the contractors and other stakeholders, for producing a magnificent facility. Seeing another of his visions come through, the president nevertheless cautions that the institution is good only as the good performance of its workers. He emphasises that the public requires quality health care.
President Ali cited numerous accomplishments of his Government in the healthcare sector, including the construction of 12 hospitals and rehabilitation of others; the collaboration with Mt Sinai Hospital and Northwell Hospital of New York; the digitising of health records; and the accelerated training of more nurses, doctors, and medical technicians. He insists that no patient should go to a public hospital and be told that there is no medication for a particular treatment.
The president says that the goal of the PPP/C Government is to attain world-class healthcare throughout all 10 regions in Guyana. He cited the case where his son’s arm was fractured in Region 9 and the medical staff there was able to successfully fix the problem.
Yours Sincerely,
Dr Tara Singh
