–offer 24-hour emergency services

Outfitted with the most modern equipment and amenities, the soon-to-be-completed Enmore Hospital will serve scores of citizens along the East Coast Demerara corridor, providing 24-hour accident and emergency services, outpatient care, and advanced imaging services. This was revealed on Monday when President Dr. Irfaan Ali and Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony visited the construction site.

Several major infrastructures at the facility are nearing completion, and when operational, the hospital will feature 75 inpatient beds, a modern birthing room, and three operating rooms. Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony explained that the facility will also have a maternity room and its own oxygen generation room, positioning it as a state-of-the-art medical facility.

This project is part of a larger $37.2 billion initiative by the Irfaan Ali-led administration aimed at modernizing healthcare across Guyana. In 2022, the government signed contracts with China’s Sinopharm International for the construction of six new regional hospitals across five of Guyana’s ten regions, with the aim of enhancing healthcare delivery nationwide. Sinopharm’s Chief Engineer Fu Qiang stated that these hospitals will provide modern healthcare facilities, with each covering 65,000 square feet.

The regional hospital at Enmore is expected to create close to 1,000 jobs, as it will require over 1,000 staff to operate 24/7. “For this facility, [we will need] more than 1,000 staff to manage it for 24 hours,” President Ali noted, adding that the hospital will be equipped with digital, top-notch equipment meeting European and American standards. The government has already begun training Nursing Assistants, Pharmacy Assistants, and Lab Technicians to meet the staffing demands, and thousands of nurses nationwide are undergoing upskilling through the government’s partnership with US-based Coursera Inc.

The $6.6 billion project, undertaken by China CAMC Engineering Co Ltd (CAMC), a subsidiary of Sinomach, represents a revolutionary step in healthcare delivery in Guyana. Besides Enmore, the government is constructing new facilities at Anna Regina (Region Two), De Kinderen (Region Three), Diamond (Region Four), Bath (Region Five), and Skeldon (Region Six). Additionally, a specialized paediatric and maternal hospital is under construction at Goedverwagting.

When completed early next year, Enmore Hospital will feature a fully equipped laboratory, two modern operating theatres, and rooms accommodating five beds each with their own washroom facilities, ensuring privacy and comfort. According to President Ali, “Basically, everything that Georgetown offers will be here.”