-in memory of Joseph Anamayah
A multi-million dollar state-of-the-art private hospital was commissioned Saturday at Hampshire, Region 6, marking a new era in the delivery of health care in the region. Among those present at the opening ceremony were Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, Minister of Health Dr. Leslie Ramsammy and Regional Chairman Region 6, Zulfikar Mustapha.                
The construction of the hospital, headed by Dr Ryan Anamayah, and located at Belvedere Settlement, Corentyne, commenced  in August 2008. It is equipped with 40 beds, state-of-the-art theatres, where both major and minor surgeries could be done, and is expected to complement several services available at the New Amsterdam Public Hospital, such as x-ray and pharmacy services, to name a few.                                                                                                                                   
Prime Minister Hinds congratulated the Anamayah family for making a dream of their foreparents a reality and challenged those present to aim for similar achievements.                            
He further recounted the years of his youth when limited education and health care services existed, unlike today, when these services are available throughout the country, a testimony to the administration’s commitment to the development of the country.                                     
Minister Ramsammy said that since 1992, the PPP Government had established a policy on health, making health the business of all, since health is the nation’s wealth. To this end, health services have significantly improved over the years, with government investing millions of dollars to provide free health care services to the public.                                                     
He further stated that government has ensured that Guyanese are enjoying the highest quality of health care services available. Additionally, the private sector has been contributing to the health sector by providing quality services to those who could afford them.                                                    
Minister Ramsammy informed those present that while there is a partnership between the public and private sectors, to ensure that quality services are available to the public, 90 percent of the surgeries in Guyana are done at the public centres. He related that between the years 1985-1992, babies under the age of five died at an alarming rate because of the unavailability of free quality health care services. Today, health care providers throughout the various administrative regions have significantly reduced the number of yearly deaths.                         
The Anamayah Memorial Hospital, completed in March this year, was established by the family of the late Attorney-at-law Joseph Anamayah, in his memory. Joseph Anamayah died at the age of 68. He was a prominent Berbice lawyer and Commissioner of Oaths to Affidavits, of Hampshire Village Corentyne. He died at his home in April, 2010, after a prolonged illness. (GINA)