Guyana’s health care system has been recognised for its outstanding performance in universal health care and as such received the prestigious Sergio Arouca Award of Excellence, at a recent Washington, D.C. ceremony in the United States.
Guyana gained the recognition through consideration of this country’s efforts to improve the health care system, in spite of limited resources available for which the minister said the nation is grateful, since it signifies that, what is being done here by health care personnel is being acknowledged internationally.
The award indisputably is deserved as Guyana’s health care landscape has been significantly transformed over the last decade. And when one considers the run-down state of the health care system a decade ago, this transformation is even more significant.
Prior to 1992, little attention was paid to the health sector, consequently, infrastructure became dilapidated and there were severe shortages of medicines and medical personnel. As such, only those who could afford to go for medical attention at private hospitals received quality health care. Therefore, it meant that a large majority of Guyanese received a poor and unacceptable quality of health service.
Today, it is undeniable that infrastructure has improved greatly; there are many more doctors and trained and qualified medical personnel; adequate supplies of medical drugs and a host of specialist services which were never available in the past. With respect to the latter, our health care system now has the capacity to carry out heart surgeries, kidney transplants and cancer therapy. It was only a few years ago that the first heart surgery was successfully carried out here.
In addition, we now boast a modern Ophthalmology Centre which is located at Port Mourant, Berbice, while there are new hospitals at New Amsterdam, Linden, Mabaruma and Lethem and several diagnostic centres in several regions. Our main hospital, the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation has been transformed beyond recognition and is still undergoing refurbishing and upgrading of facilities.
But it is not that only new facilities have been built. Today our hospitals are properly staffed with doctors and other medical personnel. Never in the history of our country have we had so many doctors. Thanks to the scholarship programme which President Bharrat Jagdeo was able to clinch with former Cuban President Fidel Castro.
However, one of the distinct developments in our health care system has been the improvement in hinterland communities which are dotted with health centres and health posts, and very importantly the Ministry of Health has an ongoing training programme for Community Health Workers. These trained workers are from the communities which they serve.
One would be foolish to say that we do not have problems with our health care system and one of those problems is the attitude of some medical personnel, but one would be equally foolish to deny the tremendous strides that have been made over the last decade.
These strides have been achieved because the government committed itself to improve our health care system and in doing so it has invested heavily towards achieving its commitment.
All People’s Progressive Party (PPP) led governments, present and past, have been fully committed to improving health care and this current one has been no different.
The party’s Presidential Candidate Donald Ramotar has been speaking about the establishment of a specialist hospital under a government led by him, which is a clear indication that a new PPP- led government would continue the process of improving health care.