WITH over 5,000 patients in the public healthcare system currently awaiting echocardiogram and ultrasounds, the government has announced that it will stand the expenses for these tests to be conducted at private hospitals.

President, Dr Irfaan Ali, made the announcement as he joined worshippers at the Unity Baptist Church, Leonora on the West Coast of Demerara for a Good Friday Service.
He revealed that some 3,000 persons are waiting for echocardiogram tests and over 2,000 persons are on the waiting list for ultrasound tests.

The tests will be conducted at private hospitals after they agreed on a reduced fee following a meeting with the President.
The backlog is due to equipment that were damaged in the fire at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) last year January. Some $30M worth in equipment were destroyed in the fire, which started in the hospital’s echocardiograph room.

An echocardiogram, or “echo”, is important in the diagnosis and monitoring of certain heart conditions by checking the structure of the heart and surrounding blood vessels, while ultrasounds are important for several purposes, including during pregnancy, for diagnosing conditions and for image guidance during certain procedures.

On Monday, President Ali met with several healthcare providers from the private sector at State House to discuss greater public and private collaboration.
At the meeting, President Ali reminded the group that his government is focused on developing and advancing primary healthcare and reducing the cost of specialised care.
Vice President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo; Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony and the Head of the GPHC, Robbie Rambarran were also part of the meeting, following which the deal was brokered with the private hospitals.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday last, the Vice President noted that putting provisions in place to ensure that the critical medical tests get done is part of the government’s wider commitment to ensuring improvement in the health care system.

“We see the need for expanded health care and we are building 12 new hospitals and we are starting to improve services. We tackling these problems with a plan in mind,” Dr. Jagdeo noted.
Over the past few years, the healthcare system in Guyana has seen massive, revolutionising investment, which has encompassed a wide number of areas in the health system.
The government has a US$180M initiative to modernise six regional facilities. Four tele-diagnostic centres were also planned for establishment in Regions One, Four, Eight and Nine.
Construction has also commenced on a $31.9B Paediatric and Maternal hospital in Goedverwagting which is expected to be equipped with 256 beds. The facility is slated to be completed in 2025.

Government also signed a monumental contract with internationally-recognised healthcare provider Mount Sinai Health System, to lift the country’s health services to world-class status, effectively overhauling the entire health system.

In direct assistance to patients, the government also initiated the Dialysis Support Programme, which gives any Guyanese patient on dialysis up to $600,000 per annum to assist with their medical treatment.