–facility to be linked to other regional medical institutions using telemedicine
–quality of care and service must match the level of investments being made, President Ali says

SET to be equipped with all modern facilities to conduct transplants and other major surgeries, the modern Level Five hospital in New Amsterdam, Region Six, will soon be available to residents, as construction will commence soon given that the sod was turned for the medical institution on Sunday.

Addressing a mammoth gathering of citizens, healthcare workers and regional officials, President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, said that the US$161 million hospital will be a major hub linking both the regional and countrywide healthcare facilities.

“This hospital in Region six is expected to be the hub and everything around it will be the mechanisms. We will have all the specialists and they will all be connected through telemedicine to every other facility in this region whether in Canje Creek or Baracara wherever you are; those health centers and hospitals will be connected to this hospital through telemedicine,” the Head of State said.

Once completed, the new facility will be linked to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) which will be connected to Mount Sinai Hospital in New York and other major hospitals around the world in telemedicine.

Dr. Ali told residents that the goal is to provide optimum health care services to the general public. This major investment, he said, coincides with several other upgrades to critical infrastructure in the region.

The President stressed the importance of humaneness and service in medicine, urging the Ministry of Health and those within the health sector to prioritise improving care and service quality to match investments.

He highlighted that there are three key components of the healthcare sector: Quality of infrastructure, quality of care and the quality of service. And while the government has been making the investments to improve the infrastructure, the two latter components have been lacking within the system.

“Right now, we’re fixing the quality of infrastructure investing in more beds, investing in the X-ray machines and investing in the infrastructure, building all the facilities. That’s all well and good. You can have the best infrastructure…but if the quality of care does not match the quality of infrastructure, then we’re doing an injustice to the investment and this is something that resides in your own conscience.

“We have to work on lifting the quality of care. And how are we doing this? We’re investing more yes, we’re doing better salaries. What about better attitude?” The president questioned while, stressing the need for improved care and service.

The new hospital will feature five operating theaters, one specifically for cardiac surgery, and advanced digital X-ray, and CT scan machines. It will be the second public facility to house an MRI machine and will be equipped for transplants. Two additional buildings will be constructed within the compound – one for a teaching facility and another for a modern psychiatric facility.

The hospital is being built by VAMED Engineering, a European based company known as a global provider for hospitals and other facilities in the healthcare sector.
According the company’s project director, works will commence as soon as March and is expected to be completed within three years.

Meanwhile, Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony detailed the government’s efforts to improve healthcare services in the region, referencing the recent upgrades to several facilities.

In Skeldon, there is the construction of a new hospital with 24-hour Accident and Emergency Services and inpatient facilities, while upgrades were made to the Port Mourant Hospital and existing New Amsterdam hospital, including the expansion of the neonatal unit.

“Lots of things are happening and I want all of you to embrace these changes and support the change that is coming to this sector,” the Health Minister said.

Last year, the Health Ministry had begun the rollout of a telemedicine programme in rural communities. Alongside this, the ministry has been working to implement a digital health system to improve patient care. All of these components will be features of the new hospital.

Dr. Anthony said: “We [envision] that every single patient that would come to our health system would have a unique identifier and any part of the system that they go, we will be able to ensure that they get the kind of services [they require]… we will be able to see their previous history.

“We will be able to integrate imaging laboratory on all the things that are necessary to treat the patient. But more importantly, this thing about waiting time, you will be able to have an app on your phone where you can then make appointments with their hospitals.

And when you go in there, you shouldn’t be spending more than 15 to 30 minutes before you’re seen by a medical professional,” the Health Minister added.