…gov’t allocates $95M to improve healthcare

THE health sector in the Cuyuni/Mazaruni Region is set to receive a major boost in 2019, with government channeling some $95M to improve the health services in the area.
In its 2019 budget presented last week by Finance Minister Winston Jordan, the government allocated funding for the construction of living quarters at Kamarang, a health post at Puruni, a doctor’s quarters at Kaikan and extension of the Kamarang District Hospital.

Provisions were also made for the purchasing of new equipment for the hospital and health posts, such as incubators, foetal monitors, examination and delivery beds among other things. The allocation also covers funding for vehicles, ATVs and boats and engines, so as to have land and water transport readily available for patients.

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle, Regional Chairman Gordon Bradford said that he has not yet had the chance to thoroughly go through the budget to speak on it extensively, but he, however, has knowledge of the proposals that were made to the government for developments in the region.

In relation to the health sector, Bradford said that it is within their vision to take health care delivery to the people. “The region is committed to providing the best health facilities for the people and, we are working towards making better provisions to serve or to meet the health need of the people, especially those in the hinterland communities,” he said.
The hinterland communities and riverine areas, Bradford said, suffer most due to inaccessibility to proper health care. This is one aspect, he said, they wish to work diligently towards changing, so that everyone in the region can have equal opportunity of being in the best health.

To address this, he said that they will be working towards having health centres in each community, with community health workers to tend to the people. Doctors are also identified to be placed in the communities to serve, to avoid persons from travelling afar to receive proper health care. The budget allocation, he said, will go towards meeting the needs and the vision of the region. For this year the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) saw the completion of two doctor’s quarters, one at Phillipai, Upper Mazaruni and the other at Isseneru, Middle Mazaruni. The two doctor’s quarters cost approximately $10M.

In addition to the two doctor’s quarters, the RDC also helped to maintain the health post at Phillipai and the hospital at Kamarang.