– Dr. Ramsammy

IN a recent site visit to the Lima Regional Hospital, the Guyana Chronicle observed substantial progress in the construction of the state-of-the-art facility, set to revolutionise healthcare on the Essequibo Coast. It is slated for completion in December 2024.

The foundation work is swiftly advancing, signaling the government’s commitment to accessible and quality medical care for all Guyanese.
In a recent interview with this publication, Adviser to the Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, explained that the government of Guyana has invested in the construction of health facilities not only in the Essequibo regions but throughout the country.

According to Dr. Ramsammy, this is to ensure that every Guyanese has access to high-quality and affordable medical care.
He related: “The Lima Hospital is one of the six contemporary hospitals that are being constructed by Chinese contractors in the nation. In addition to CT scans, an intensive care unit (ICU) for adults, children, and newborns, cataract procedures, as well as other treatments.”

Dr. Ramsammy further indicated that the Lima hospital, in conjunction with the other newly established ones, will showcase three theatres, one emergency room, and two main ones.
More crucially, he said, the hospital is set up to offer more efficient and effective services.

According to him, “we are working on upgrading the Suddie and Charity hospitals, which we can do, but these are older facilities that are not intended to offer the kind of services that we need to bring to Region Two and the other regions. For this reason, we are working on building new hospitals so that we won’t have to construct separate buildings, and the services are dispersed.”

Despite the presence of operating rooms at the Suddie and Charity hospitals, Dr. Ramsammy stated that the theaters are insufficient for the advanced surgical procedures being introduced by these facilities to the nation and, as a result, the surrounding areas. The nation has a leader (President Dr. Irfaan Ali) who believes in taking the government to the people, and in that respect, Dr. Ramsammy said, “We are taking health care to the region and its people.

Even though certain procedures will require travel to Georgetown, Dr. Ramsammy stated: “The entire purpose of these investments in the various regions is so that people wouldn’t have to come to Georgetown for a certain diagnosis; they should be comfortable in their own regions where their families can attend to them as well. More hospitals are being constructed around the nation, and we are offering previously unavailable, more effective services.”

Additionally, the adviser said, “buildings are not hospitals; buildings are a part of a hospital. In relation to the development of jobs in the health industry, what truly distinguishes a hospital from anything else is the patients who visit and the staff that work there. Of course, a hospital with 75 beds and complete in-patient services, including intensive care, as well as full diagnostic and rehabilitation capabilities, will need a sizable staff.”

These facilities, according to Dr. Ramsammy, will employ more than just medical professionals like physicians, nurses, and other staff members. He stated that there will be openings for support personnel, including porters, cleaners, security, and much more. “There will be thousands of jobs created by these institutions for community members and health professionals,” Dr. Ramsammy said.

Furthermore, Dr. Ramsammy made it clear that it is not hard to recognise that the shortage of nurses in the health sector is a matter of concern for the population in Guyana, the Caribbean, and other developed nations.

He added: “Along with the construction of these hospitals, we have also started a new nursing programme where we had about 150 to 250 nurses in the intake class each year, but for this year we had about 1,200 nurses, and we are hoping that the number will climb to 1,500 next year. That is inclusive of online training as well, and a number of these students would be studying in their own communities and not having to travel and stay in Georgetown, New Amsterdam, or Linden, where we have our nursing schools.”

However, he continued to explain that the government is constructing more housing for them as, eventually, they would need “in-house educational programs.”

Furthermore, Dr. Ramsammy revealed that a nursing school, equipped with dormitories, will be constructed at Suddie Hospital. It is anticipated to open by the end of the following year. “With these training programmes and training facilities, we are hoping to have enough of our own health workers in these new institutions.”

Dr. Ramsammy concluded by revealing that 10 new hospitals will be built, the first of which is the Lima Regional Hospital, which is expected to open in December 2024.
While the other four will be built in the hinterland, the others, which will have the same services as the New Amsterdam and Linden Hospitals, will be situated at Number 75 Village in Region Six, Bath Settlement in Region Five, Enmore on the East Coast Demerara, Little Diamond on East Bank Demerara, and De Kinderen on the West Coast Demerara.