SOME $30M has been allocated to the Ministry of Public Health for the acquisition of a fully equipped state of the art river ambulance with a radio set, says subject Minister Dr. George Norton. The Minister made this disclosure on Wednesday during his contribution to the budget debate. Additionally, some $10.5M has been budgeted for the purchase of three ATVs that would be of great help in hinterland locations. Dr. Norton said too that Government will be moving to “bulldoze the Fort Canje Psyciatric Hospital and build a new one,” given the current dilapidated state of the institution.
Under the heading Regional and Clinical Services, Dr. Norton said government is working assiduously to ensure that consistent and adequate quality health care is provided to all citizens across the country. Such service he said must be provided based on the values of equity, solidarity and quality health care as a human right.
A total of approximately $13.3B was allotted to this programme, of which $11.9B is going to current expenditure. “We will empower the regions, through training and increased human resources, so that this ministry can be successful in its plan to decentralize the regional system,” said the Minister of Public Health. In this regard, the Minister emphasised the need for “a standard complement of staff for each region,” to avoid the multi-tasking of those that already exist.
He said that in the past, under the PPP administration, workers were “called upon to function in disciplines outside of their mandate.” “This must be a thing of the past, he asserted. Additionally, the Minister noted that medical doctors and other personnel will be deployed to the hinterland regions with the aim of having a physician placed in every health centre across the country.
$1.5B has been allocated as capital expenditure to complete all unfinished structures, namely: the health center for Experiment at Bath (Region 5), though built in 2013 to the tune of $32M, remains unfinished and unfurnished. A similar situation exists at Yawong Health Center (Mountain Foot) in Region 8, which remains incomplete even after $29M was expended.
“We will also make functional the brand new x-ray unit at Parika health center, which has never been used for 3 years and the other at the Leguan hospital, which has been there for 10 years and not only unused, but unwrapped as well.”
Additionally, Dr. Norton said the Diamond Diagnostic Centre will undergo renovation work to the tune of $30M, while another $15M is earmarked for the construction of a solid waste furnace for the Linden Hospital Complex. $20M will be used to refurbish a section of the old Linden Hospital building thereby establishing a consultation room, a ten-bed surgical ward and a patients’ waiting room. The Kwakwani Hospital will be extended and remodeled to house an operating suite, rehabilitation unit and a larger nurses’ rest room, the Minister said.
“We are also in the process of adding new health facilities within the regions, such as a health hut in Yakashiba (Region 2) and Semonie (Region 9). Adequate housing facilities will also be provided for the staff to be deployed to the regions such as a medex house in Fort Island (Region 3) and Sand Creek (Region 9),” he said.

Drug shortage
Dr. Norton dispelled statements by Opposition Members of Parliament that suggest there is a shortage of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies in the regions. He said investigations revealed that there is a sufficient supply of pharmaceutical and medical supplies in the regions, minus a few shortages “here and there.” “Mr. Speaker, permit me to explain the process for the procurement of drugs and medical supplies, which the members of the opposition seem to have a difficulty in understanding. This process remains substantially centralized with the exception of minor purchases that include small emergency supplies, medical gases and snake bite kits. The allocations have been distributed across the regions as a first step in improving the programme of budgeting of health costs at a regional level, even as work is advancing on a costing exercise to determine the total costs of drugs expended in each region to address the disease profiles of the particular region,” the Minister of Public Health stated.
He explained that all money unused by the regions will be sent to his Ministry to facilitate centralized procurement. “This means that the REOs will send the agreed sums to the MOPH and the MOPH will then pool all these monies and purchase drugs and medical supplies for the facilities across the regions.”
“Importantly, let me add Mr Speaker, that the drug supply system is far from perfect and to date there has been no administration, especially during the PPP reign that has had a situation free from shortages of drugs and medical supplies in some parts of the country.” Dr. Norton emphasised that his government is taking steps to strengthen the management of the drug supply chain and a detailed review of all aspects from procurement – to distribution – to consumption is being undertaken.
“This Government will ensure adequate drugs and medical supplies are provided in all of our facilities across the country. We are not there yet, but we intend to get there soon, and fully resolve these issues well within our first term in office.”

Shortage of HIV test kits
Dr. Norton blazed the Opposition Member of Parliament Joseph Hamilton for implying there is a shortage of HIV test kits across the country. He described the utterances by Hamilton as “Misleading” and assured that there are enough kits in the country to last until the end of year. For new projects, from a sum of 60 million dollars, 30 million was appropriated for the construction of a facility to house the CT scan and 15 million for the construction of a day care center. Another 15 million dollars is also allotted for the construction of a canteen.

New Projects
Guyana has sought and received technical assistance support from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to the tune of US$350,000 for the Ministry of Public Health to aid in addressing key challenges in reducing maternal, as well as infant and child mortality.
Dr. Norton also announced that the Ministry of Finance has requested the preparation of two loan requests for resources and technical assistance form the IDB. US$5,000,000 in loan resources has been requested to improve maternal, neonatal, child and reproductive health services at the primary, as well as the regional hospital level, while an additional US$1,000,000 has been requested for the implementation of a project aimed at responding to suicide here. “The Ministry of Finance is currently seeking to be a member-country of the Islamic Development Bank. If Guyana’s application is favourably considered, Guyana will have access to approximately US$50,000,000 in development resources, of which ten million is earmarked for the health sector.” He assured that the “good life beckons” but there must be collaboration and cooperation from all stakeholders. “I hereby urge that the honourable members of the opposition lend their full support to this budget.”