MINISTER of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, has revealed that the Mibicuri Cottage Hospital in the East Berbice-Corentyne (Region Six), will soon receive much-needed infrastructural and apparatus upgrades.

During a visit to the facility on Friday last, Minister Anthony assured staff that the hospital will be upgraded to serve the community more efficiently.
“This hospital has been around for some time and has been serving this community for a while and one of the things we want to do is to make sure that you improve the services that we’re offering here.

“And so, as I was saying to the Regional Chairman early this morning is that the government has set aside some additional resources, some of which would be utilised particularly at this hospital to complete some rehabilitation works in this hospital.”
With respect to the infrastructural upgrades, Dr. Anthony said there would be a complete separation of the men’s and women’s wards, which is currently separated with detachable, temporary walls.

“I know when you have people here inside the hospital, male and females are in the same area and generally we want to have that separation, so that is one of the things that will be done.”
“Diagnostics in this hospital has declined because we don’t have x-rays and things like that, so we are working to make sure that we equip this hospital with some of the basic things so that you can offer a better-quality service,” he added. Physical work will begin in about two months’ time, the minister said, as the tendering process will start soon.

Next week, the ministry will, however, begin tendering for medical equipment for Region Six. The Mibicuri community was among several in the Region affected by flooding. Minister Anthony handed over 300 insecticide-treated nets to the Neighbourhood Democratic Council for distribution to the most vulnerable residents.
Additionally, the minister also encouraged persons who have not yet taken a COVID-19 vaccine to get immunised.

At the New Amsterdam Hospital, where he addressed a ceremony to honour blood donors, Minister Anthony said COVID-19 is one of the most pressing problems in Guyana. He said everyone has a responsibility to protect themselves, and reduce transmission of the disease.

“One sure way out of this pandemic is to make sure that we all get vaccinated. COVID-19 is a serious thing because we have thousands of Guyanese who have been infected and unfortunately more than 400 Guyanese have died from COVID-19.

“We have a number of persons in this region, who also succumbed to COVID-19, and right now, as I speak, we have about 167 active cases of COVID-19 in this Region. New Amsterdam is really one of the hot spots that we have in the country. Each one of us, we have to take responsibility of reducing these numbers,” Minister Anthony said.

(DPI)