As Government strives to ensure its citizens benefit from a higher quality of health care, there has been continuous investment in the development of facilities.
In this light, $235.9M million have been approved for extension of the Maternity Ward at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). Speaking to the Government Information Agency (GINA), GPHC’s Director of Facilities Management, Kamal Haricharan, noted that the money which was approved for the project will see the addition of 70 beds for pre-natal as well as post-natal care, and will also cater for the addition of a new operating theatre to ease the burden on the two existing ones at the ward, especially in what is known as ‘peak periods.’
Part of this funding will also be used for re-designing the 24-bed level, the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the hospital, which has been delivering a greater level of care to neonates since its establishment.
$50M had been budgeted for this project in 2014, but the money had been used as a consulting fee. Upgrade works on the ward are expected to commence in early February.
The Health Ministry continues to work towards achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goal (MDG) #5, which is to reduce, by three-quarters between 1990 and 2015, the maternal/mortality ratio.
Also, in 2014, the sum of $22.6 million was allocated for the establishment of maternity and waiting homes in Lethem and Bartica, to cater for antenatal high-risk mothers.
(GINA)