–PM commends continued security cooperation between the two nations
PRIME Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, who is performing the functions of President, attended a handing over ceremony of a US$1.124 million deployable multi-purpose field hospital, facilitated through the United States Government-Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) to the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), on Thursday, at Playfield, Base Camp Ayanganna.

In his remarks, the Acting Head of State expressed the Government of Guyana’s appreciation for the donation, which he described as a form of continued support in the area of security cooperation with the aim to boost resilience of disaster preparedness.
He acknowledged the invaluable role of SOUTHCOM in identifying and addressing the capability gaps in humanitarian assistance and disaster management, particularly after hosting the recent TRADEWINDS exercise.

“This is not just about disaster, this is about contributing to the development of Guyana. Our deepest appreciation to SOUTHCOM and to the Government and people of the United States of America for this donation, and for being with us as we continue on this path of security cooperation that will only lead to the improvement of the lives and livelihood of the people of Guyana,” the Prime Minister said.

The present commander of SOUTHCOM, General Richardson, was also commended for the ongoing engagement and dedication in delivering on identified needs to bridge capability gaps in Guyana, citing previous collaborations such as the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) at Base Camp Stevenson, a DRM facility in Region Nine and the expected establishment of a EOC/Warehouse complex at Mahdia in Region Eight.

Highlighting the importance of the field hospital, Prime Minister Phillips who holds responsibility for disaster management in Guyana, outlined the donations’ role in advancing Guyana’s implementation of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) strategy.
“This facility here will help us to greatly advance in our implementation of comprehensive disaster management in Guyana, making us more effective and more able to bring relief to the people.”

During the handing over ceremony, US Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole D. Theriot said: “As Guyana works to improve its emergency disaster response in the near and long-term, the United States government is committed to supporting the people of Guyana and to strengthening our partnership”.
The handing-over ceremony also featured an incident simulation exercise.