–Dr Ramsammy says, referencing IDB report

A RECENTLY released report by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) on conditions at the New Amsterdam Hospital (NAH) are based on inspections done since 2020, prior to the change of government, and does not include several upgrades that have since been made at the hospital, and several other health facilities across the country.

A slew of improvements, several of which address deficiencies cited in the IDB report, have been made at the NAH since the report was published, while the US$160 million that the government has secured from the IDB will be used to implement further upgrades and improvement to the hospital.

This was explained by Adviser to the Minister of Health Dr. Leslie Ramsammy as he shed light on the true nature of the situation at the hospital in a recent letter to the media.
“The work identified at the New Amsterdam Hospital is what the government has planned; the IDB project will be a part of the planned work. While we have made significant progress, the MoH and the Region Six administration are well aware that conditions are not yet what the MoH would want the New Amsterdam Hospital to be,” Dr. Ramsammy explained.

Notwithstanding the need for more improvements, the hospital has seen marked progress since August 2020.
Dr. Ramsammy noted that improvements at the NAH since 2020 include the installation of a new X-Ray machine that has been functioning since early 2021, a new mobile digital X-ray was also procured and is functioning; while a new fixed-site digital X-Ray is also being installed.

A CT machine has been provided, and has been operationalised, while laboratory equipment have been procured. ECG equipment, ultrasound machines, CTG for fetal monitoring in the delivery rooms, better systems for supplies have all since been put in place.

Basic maintenance work on the existing operating theatres have been done, a new maternity building, with three new operating theatres is about to be commissioned, operating room tables, new delivery beds, new ICU beds have been procured, new ventilators and anaesthetic machines have been installed. A new oxygen therapy system is in place. The ATS for the back-up generator has been installed. The solar system now contributes 20 per cent of the energy needs of the hospital. There are now new ambulances for the hospital. A new chemotherapy building is also expected to be operationalised in a few weeks.

The dialysis centre has also been reactivated, while a new, fully-equipped Infectious Disease Building has been constructed and operationalised. General environmental clean-up has been put in place, and upgrading of the laundry services has begun.

The plans developed by the Ministry of Health (MoH) also includes a new emergency and trauma building, expansion of the operating theatre suites, a new ICU and HDU area, new neonatal unit, etc. Already a chemotherapy area is ready to be commissioned.

VASTLY IMPROVED STATE
According to Dr. Ramsammy, the hospital is now in a vastly improved state from what was met upon government assuming office in August 2020.
“Two years ago, when a new Minister of Health took office and a new Government was in place, the health sector was in a desperate place. It was clear that those in charge of the health sector in the years preceding 2020 had thoroughly neglected the sector. Significant investments have been made to address the many areas of neglect that were evident in August 2020,” Dr. Ramsammy said.

Dr. Ramsammy called it “disappointing” that media houses did not pay attention to the deplorable state of the hospital prior to the change of Government, highlighting that it was under the APNU+AFC coalition that the hospital descended into a severely deficient state.

Issues included there being no X-Ray services at the New Amsterdam Hospital. The laboratory was unable to provide basic testing because either equipment was down or reagents were unavailable. Common medicines critical for patient care were mostly unavailable almost all the time. Beds, bathrooms/restrooms and the building in general were in need of urgent maintenance, the total environment was in deplorable state.

The operating theatre had leaks, fungus/mold had taken over the walls, basic equipment was in need of repairs, the wards were in shameful conditions, even sheets and pillows were missing and urgent painting was needed across the board.

Operating room tables and delivery beds were in poor condition. The CTG fetal monitoring equipment no longer existed in the delivery rooms.
The dental suite, including the broken dental chair, was in shameful condition. The oxygen therapy system was unreliable. The hospital back-up generator’s ATS for automatic switching on was not functioning. Washing machines, dryers were no longer functioning. Basic medical supplies were in severe shortage. The solar panels needed rehabilitation. The hospital’a roofs were leaking. There was a general clutter in the hospital compound, and the sewer system was overflowing. Adding to the unseemly sight in the hospital environment, the incinerator required major overhaul and rehabilitation. The mortuary was out of service. The hospital’s ambulances were barely serviceable.

The situation at the NAH, Dr. Ramsammy said, was not much different from what the government found at several other health facilities across the country.
“The neglect of the health centres and health posts was shameful. The IDB conducted an assessment of more than 330 health centres and health posts in all 10 regions in 2018/2019. The assessment was a Service Availability and Readiness Assessment (SARA). The report showed that the primary healthcare system was, like the hospitals, totally neglected. Many of the health centres and health posts had broken beds and furniture, leaking roofs, broken windows and doors. Many had problems with utilities, such as electricity and water and many other problems,” Dr. Ramsammy explained.

MASSIVE EFFORTS
According to Dr. Ramsammy, since August 2020, massive efforts have been made to remedy the situation in health centres and health posts, with over $1.5B being invested over the past two years. With Regional Health Officers reporting that more than 90 per cent of health posts and health centres currently having electricity and water, and benefiting from improvements.

“Most of the health centres [and] health posts today benefit from improvement. Many have been repainted, and most of them had waiting areas constructed, washrooms have been upgraded. In the coming years, every one of these facilities will benefit from further upgrading in infrastructure, technology, medicine and supplies and human resources,” Dr. Ramsammy pledged.

“As far as the hospitals are concerned, including the New Amsterdam Hospital, the government has made significant progress in improving the conditions. While efforts at rehabilitation and improved maintenance are continuing, the Government recognises the need for massive investment to upgrade many of the facilities.”

Dr. Ramsammy wrote the letter in response to news articles published in another section of the media that related to the findings of the IDB report, but did not identify that the assessment that the report was based on was conducted to assess the state of disrepair that the hospital descended to under the former APNU+AFC coalition government, which governed from 2015 to 2020.

The news articles also did not identify the many changes that have since been made.
“The sector has developed an ambitious plan for upgrading all existing hospitals in the country. The IDB has been a major partner in the health sector for a long time,” Dr. Ramsammy said.

The IDB is partnering with the Government in the upgrading of not just the NAH, but the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation and Linden Hospital, as well.
Of the US$160 million, more than US$7 million will be used towards the introduction and rolling out of a telemedicine programme and just over US$3 million will be directed to overall service delivery across the health sector.

However, outside of the three hospitals, which are the target hospitals for the IDB loan, other investments are being made to upgrade existing hospitals.
Among major inputs, Suddie, West Demerara and Bartica Hospitals are presently on the books, with designs for new hospitals completed and new construction for these hospitals planned.

“Presently, financing is being arranged by the Government for these hospitals. The Skeldon and Fort Wellington Hospitals are being replaced by new construction at new sites. Land preparations for these two hospitals have already begun. In addition, new hospitals are being constructed starting now at Enmore, Little Diamond, De Kendren and Anna Regina. A new Maternal and Children Hospital will start construction in weeks at Ogle,” Dr. Ramsammy noted.