– numerous goals and objectives achieved
A GINA feature
The year 2009 saw government’s continued commitment to invest heavily in the health sector through an allocation of $12.8B to train health care personnel, and to construct, expand, rehabilitate and maintain numerous health buildings across the regions.

These planned investments included the completion of the National Ophthalmology Hospital, operationalising of the Linden Hospital Complex and the construction of the new Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) In-patient facility.

In addition, $32.3M was allocated for the completion of the National Psychiatric hospital at Canje, $18M for the rehabilitation of the Cheddi Jagan Dental Centre, $15M for the construction of a new building to house the health centre at Belle West, $5M for the refurbishing of De Kinderen health centre and repairs to several doctors’ quarters.

The achievement of strategies has reaped major successes for the sector as numerous goals and objectives were achieved. This has in turn improved the delivery of quality health care to Guyanese with a wider range of services available.

Consolidation of human resource skills
During the year, training efforts were focused on further expansion and consolidation of human resource skills to complement health institutions being constructed across the country.

Continued training was done at various levels, for doctors, medex, professional nurses, community health workers, pharmacy and dental assistants, community dental therapists, dentex and rehabilitation practitioners.

New training programmes were also introduced to increase the staff complement and strengthen the healthcare system.

Health workers’ emergency response capabilities were boosted. More than 20 persons including doctors, nurses, medical examiners and attendants sought to regulate approaches to emergency responses and effectively improve the chances of a patient’s survival since many casualties that should not have occurred, have often been reported because of poor emergency administration.

This course was implemented in October 2006 and to date, 76 persons have been trained including doctors, nurses, medical examiners and attendants.

The Trauma Team Training course was established by the Ministry of Health’s Regional Health Services in partnership with GPHC.

Scholarship awardees
A batch of 30 medical students completed their studies in Cuba and returned on July 30 to serve their country. The sixth year medical students were placed at local health institutions to pursue their internship following which they will practice medicine in the country.

The programme has borne fruit through the signing of a cooperation agreement between Guyana and Cuba that entailed enormous benefits, one aspect of which was the provision of 965 scholarships, 715 in the medical field.

Since its implementation it has been receiving overwhelming response, with students from the various regions including Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Nine and Ten receiving the scholarships.

National Ophthalmology hospital – a boon for eye patients
With the conclusion of the Cuba/Guyana ‘Mission Miracle’ programme, Guyana’s state-of-the-art National Ophthalmology Hospital at Port Mourant, Berbice, opened its doors conducting the first eye surgeries on July 28 for eye ailments including cataract and pterygium.

The hospital has served over 11, 000 patients for various eye ailments since it became operational in February 9, 2009. Approximately 1000 surgeries were conducted for 2009. Over 160 patients underwent surgeries for cataract, 975 for pterygium and 14 for laser surgeries.
The institution is expected to conduct approximately 10,000 major eye surgeries per year.

New in-patient facility

First phase of construction ongoing at GPHC’s in-patient facility

Work commenced on the upgrade of the $1.2B GPHC in-patient facility located between Lamaha and Thomas Streets, part of the hospital’s master plan and the national development strategy. Upon completion it will accommodate approximately 300 in-patients.
The first phase of construction work is expected to be completed within 18-months.
The GPHC is also seeking to integrate and consolidate in-patient services which are currently dispersed at the institution.

Lethem Hospital –serving 20,000 people

The spanking new Lethem Hospital, Region Nine.

The year also saw Region Nine taking up its role as a major frontier town with the opening of the Takutu River Bridge and the completion of the Lethem Hospital Complex that is outfitted with modern equipment and facilities, i
ncluding theatres, in-patient and out-patient facilities, pharmacy and laboratory, and will be offering a wide range of services.

It is manned by staff from the old hospital and the Ministry of Health periodically sends in “roaming visiting teams” to complement its work.

Linden Hospital Complex
To rebuild and rehabilitate degraded physical infrastructure of the health sector, government refurbished the Linden Hospital complex to offer a wider range of services to the public.

The new hospital located near the old McKenzie Hospital Complex in Watooka provides health care services to Lindeners and people travelling from the riverine communities.
Linden Hospital
It was constructed at a cost of $2B and offers rehabilitation services including physiotherapy, occupational, and speech therapy and audiology; laboratory services for several types of testing including blood sugar, cholesterol, kidney and liver function, malaria, dengue fever and others; emergency services; outpatient services; pharmacy; radiology; and optometry.

Diagnostic Centres-providing valuable services
The Diamond East Bank Regional Hospital and the Suddie, Leonora and Mahaicony diagnostic and treatment centres were also part of the agreement that was signed in 2006 between Guyana and Cuba to improve health care services in the country.

Since their establishment, they have been serving their purpose of taking the burden off the main hospital, the GPHC. Overall they have seen over 555,400 people; patients seen by these four centres were Diamond 103, 663 patients, Leonora Diagnostic Centre 67,059 patients; Suddie Diagnostic Centre 63,431 patients and Mahaicony Diagnostic Centre 58, 322 patients. The centres offered services including:-Lab tests, Ultra Sounds, Endoscopy, X-ray, ECG, surgeries, deliveries, and dental treatment.

Mabaruma Hospital

Mabaruma Hospital, Region One

Located in Region One, the Mabaruma Hospital commenced clinical work during 2009, benefitting residents of that area and surrounding communities.

The hospital boasts four expanded wards, 36 beds for in-patients, an X-ray department, operating theatre, delivery room and other supporting departments. It was constructed at a cost of approximately $120M.

Basic Nutrition Programme (BNP) – preserving children’s growth
Approximately $190M was allocated in 2009 towards the continuation of the “Sprinkles” programme to ensure that children’s growth and development are preserved.

A mother receives sprinkle and food voucher coupon for her child.

About 20,000 beneficiaries were targeted through the distribution of nutritional supplements and food voucher coupons.

Mothers during registration also benefit from a free monthly food coupon valued $1000, which is used at designated shops to purchase food items such as full-cream milk, barley, cornmeal and plantain flour for porridge.

Through the programme, there has been evidence of behaviour change in mothers, in relation to their feeding practices.

Expanded range of health services
During the year, two new medical centres, eye and laparoscopy, were added to the GPHC. Through collaborative efforts between Guyana and the People’s Republic of China, equipment was donated to the centres at a cost of over US$60,000 with the aim of upgrading and expanding the services offered locally.

Kidney Transplants
More Kidney transplants were conducted at the GPHC during the year, following the successful operation done for the first time in 2008.
The surgeries were spearheaded by an overseas medical team, assisted by local doctors and nurses.

HIV/AIDS prevention
The Ministry remained committed in 2009 in its fight against HIV/AIDS through the implementation of programmes to eradicate stigma and discrimination in work environments.

Through the Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) programme which was introduced in the early 1990s, it has promoted behaviour change by improving the quality of life of individuals and their families.

In November, 2009, over 9,000 persons were tested during the Ministry’s National Week of Testing.

Eradicating malaria
Realising that malaria poses a major threat to global health and disadvantaged economic development, the Ministry of Health continued its efforts in 2009 to raise awareness of the pandemic and the importance of fighting the spread of the disease.

Through partnership formed with various groups, including churches, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and private entities in both the mining and forestry sectors, in the last year the incidence of the disease has reduced. There has bee
n a recorded 92 percent reduction in affected and diagnosed patients.

Cases of malaria are expected to be reduced to less than 8000 by 2010 and totally eliminated as a public health problem in the country by 2015.