THE Leonora Cottage Hospital, which was retrofitted to the tune of US$1.2 million through the Smart Healthcare Facilities in the Caribbean Project, was on Tuesday officially recommissioned.
The upgrading of the facility to a “Smart Hospital” is part of the government’s vision to modernise healthcare in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) and the country at large.

The Leonora Cottage Hospital is one of five facilities that were set to be upgraded and updated as part of the Smart Healthcare Facilities project to become safer, ‘greener’ and more resilient to natural disasters and climate change.

The Strengthening Healthcare Facilities in the Caribbean (Smart Hospitals Programme Phase Two), which is funded by the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) of the Government of the United Kingdom, allocated US$8 million to Guyana for the upgrading of the five facilities.

During the recommissioning ceremony, which was held in the hospital’s parking lot, Prime Minister Mark Phillips noted that it is a proud moment for Guyana, as the project is an example of people-centred development.
He said that it is important to note that of the five facilities that are being retrofitted, two are on the coastland, while the other three are in hinterland communities.

“We are bringing development not only to the coast, but we’re bridging that divide,” he said, adding that the initiative is one that is welcomed by the government.
The project, the Prime Minister said, adds to the administration’s portfolio of success, and bolsters their commitment to ensuring the improvement in the quality of life for the people of Guyana.

PM Phillips added that the project covers facility upgrades that make hospitals and operations more resilient and environmentally-friendly, among other things.
“These developments all work in synergy towards a common goal of ensuring the good health and well-being of all the people of Guyana,” the Prime Minister said.

Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony, during his remarks at the commissioning ceremony, revealed that the ‘Smart Hospital’ project is part of a wider Caribbean initiative, and that Guyana is almost finished with the five hospitals that were set to be transformed, with the Leonora Cottage Hospital being the third to be completed.

The Diamond Diagnostic Centre was completed in April 2021, while the Lethem Regional Hospital was completed in October 2021.
And now that the facility is back up and running, the work officially begins for staff, as there are lots of expectations, the health official said.

HIGHER AND HIGHER STANDARDS
“As we work to improve things, you know, more and more people will demand higher and higher standards. We have to work to make sure that we’re able to meet those standards,” the Health Minister said.
Speaking specifically of the project, Dr. Anthony indicated that the repurposing that was done at each hospital thus far was based on the specific needs of the facility, and was not a one-size-fit-all approach.

He went on to say that as they started working, they came to realise that the resources that were allocated to the project were not enough, and that in order to get to the point where the health authorities were comfortable, the government put in some additional resources to the project.

It was then, he said, that the government added some $15 million to bolster the project, which sum contributed to the current end-product.
Moreover, the Health Minister told those gathered that the government’s ambition for the hospital is much larger than it currently is, as, over the next few years, more resources will be invested in the facility.

As the facility will now be reopened, there will be eight doctors on staff, most of whom are general practitioners. There will also be specialised clinics and services that will be run at the facility.
These specialists, it was noted, are in the Region, and will be operating at the Leonora Hospital on a fixed schedule. The hospital currently boasts an X-Ray Unit, and an Ultrasound Machine is expected to be added shortly.

Currently, the Leonora Cottage Hospital has laboratory services that will be operating during the day, however, there are intentions to later adopt a 24-hour service for the benefit of the public.
Minister Anthony said that while there have been complaints about the lack of access to dialysis care to patients with end-stage renal failure in the region, it is intended to offer dialysis care to patients at the facility to cater for the region.

He added that the government has had partnerships with a number of dialysis care providers. As a result, one of those partners has indicated their interest in partnering with the government to make dialysis care available in Region Three.

The Health Minister said that the government will continue to improve the standard of healthcare accessed by residents in Region Three and the country at large, as the government’s vision is to modernise the country’s healthcare system.