A NEW hospital in New Amsterdam will soon be available to residents of East Berbice-Corentyne (Region Six) as the government continues to strive for better health care.

The facility will have state-of-the-art technology to provide critical medical procedures like open-heart, kidney transplant, and pancreatic surgeries, currently unavailable at New Amsterdam Regional Hospital.

“Another brand-new hospital is going to be built here in New Amsterdam which is a three-storey hospital, which will cater for different kinds of surgery that we cannot presently handle in Berbice,” Regional Chairman, David Armogan told the Department of Public Information (DPI) on Tuesday.

He disclosed that the construction of the multi-million medical centre is expected to begin later this year into 2024, while the bidding process for tenders has already commenced.

“Based on the pronouncement of His Excellency, they have actually sent out tenders for the hospitals and so as soon as that procurement process is completed, the hospital will start…so hopefully it might, if it’s not the end of this year, it will be next year,” the chairman relayed.

The establishment of the hospital will see residents within the region having access to an upgraded facility with a wide range of free services, as opposed to travelling to the city or private institutions for the same opportunities.

Further, Armogan announced that the construction of two health centres in Chesney Village and New Cane-field Settlement has begun.

The establishment of the health centres will enable residents of the two villages and nearby communities to conveniently access primary healthcare, thereby reducing obstacles such as distance and financial burden.

In addition to revolutionalising healthcare, these initiatives will introduce employment within the county, as healthcare professionals are an essential part of the functioning of these facilities.