–          as gov’t pursues countrywide infrastructural upgrades to health facilities
–          Jagdeo says

WITH a modern concept already in mind, massive enhancement to the infrastructure of Guyana’s largest hospital – the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) – is imminent.
This was, on Thursday, revealed by People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary and Guyana’s Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo who told reporters that several new health facilities will come on stream in the first and second quarters of 2025.

There are 12 new facilities that are under construction, simultaneously, in Guyana, and, of these, one will be a state-of-the-art maternal and paediatric hospital in Ogle, East Coast Demerara.
Dr. Jagdeo explained that when the new facility comes on stream it would replace the existing maternal unit at GPHC.
This will allow for more modern upgrades at that facility.

“As soon as we move out that children and maternity unit from the Georgetown Hospital, we will then focus on upgrading the Georgetown hospital itself, but modern with little parks there. We already have a concept with parks, recreational areas within the hospital and all that…,” Dr. Jagdeo explained.
Out of the 12 upcoming hospitals, six of them will be replacement facilities.

A new hospital is being constructed by the government in Region Six, specifically at No. 75 Village. The objective of this project is to replace the existing Skeldon Hospital and enhance the range of services available to the community.
Additionally, the construction of new hospitals at Anna Regina, Region Two; De Kinderen, Region Three; Diamond and Enmore, Region Four; Bath, Region Five, and Skeldon Region Six, is in progress.
Dr. Jagdeo pointed out, too, that the existing New Amsterdam Hospital was being replaced with another, more modern facility that costs about US$161 million. The current hospital will be transformed into a better facility to provide mental health services.

MANPOWER SURVEY
Dr. Jagdeo further disclosed that some 3000 skilled persons will be needed when the new facilities come on stream.
These figures were determined following the government’s undertaking of a comprehensive ‘manpower survey’ to evaluate the demand for qualified and skilled personnel.
“We will need about 3000 persons, about 500 per hospital which will include cleaners, porters, drivers — a whole range of people.”

“When the remaining hospitals are completed, the other six hospitals, will be large like the maternal and children hospital here in Georgetown and the one in New Amsterdam. Those will require more people but then there would be smaller ones, like the ones in the hinterland. They will need 100 persons, because those will be mainly diagnostic centres.”

The General Secretary also pointed out that the manpower survey is not only limited to the health sector; the government has been evaluating its need for skilled personnel in other sectors, such as tourism and hospitality.
The government has initiated the recruitment and training of individuals to support the 12 hospitals.

Some $129.8 billion was been budgeted in this year’s fiscal plans for the continued transformation of the health sector into one which meets world-class standards.
Of that, $10.3 billion was allocated to continue construction of the world-class paediatric and maternal hospital in Ogle.