The opposition’s criticisms of the government’s strategy to ensure equitable healthcare for all have been rubbished by People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary and the country’s Vice President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo.

At a recent news conference at Freedom House, Jagdeo responded to the opposition’s commentary regarding the $1.38 trillion budget. He specifically addressed the concerns raised about the healthcare sector, emphasizing the government’s comprehensive plan to strengthen both public and private healthcare systems.

Opposition members, such as Alliance for Change (AFC) Leader, Nigel Hughes have made a series of claims in relation to the government providing a $10,000 Universal Healthcare Voucher this year to every person in the country to help finance a basic menu of medical tests.

Although this intervention will benefit some 500,000 individuals, it was still met with fault-finding by the opposition. In a Facebook post, Hughes claimed that the investment being made by the government is aimed at “fattening the wallets” of private healthcare providers.

Not only did Dr Jagdeo reject this but he also highlighted the shallowness of this analysis. While Hughes claimed that public hospitals “desperately” need investment, the General Secretary pointed to the positive trajectory that the public healthcare system is undergoing because of the PPP’s interventions.

One example of this is the 12 new regional hospitals that will come on stream shortly.
Further, he said that the services provided in these hospitals will be upgraded when it comes to management, cutting-edge technology and staffing, to name a few.
“So public healthcare will be upgraded,” Jagdeo said.

However, he noted that this cannot solve all of the problems within Guyana’s healthcare system. Tax incentives for private healthcare are beneficial because they encourage investment in infrastructure and services, improve accessibility and quality of care and because of this, the government has given tax incentives to private health facilities, he said.

As a result, Guyanese have seen an expansion in private healthcare. Speaking more on the universal healthcare voucher, he said: “Now, this voucher is for every Guyanese. It is to expand on what we have already.”

“Just imagine 500,000 Guyanese want to go this year to the public health system and try to get those tests. You will overload the system.”
He added, “The public health system must continue doing its work. And this is one way of getting service to our people and give them choices. They collect a voucher. They can still choose to go to the Georgetown Hospital and do it, and not use the voucher.”

Additionally, he said these vouchers along with the others, like the cervical cancer voucher, are a demonstration of the government caring for its people.

Highlighting the mentality of the Opposition, Dr Jagdeo said: “Should we just open the ophthalmology centre that they (APNU+AFC) closed, that was built in when I was president, [and] should we not give the kids now their money to buy a spectacle and or get your eyes tested or pensioners or let’s wait only for the public sector to provide those. It will take 50 years and people won’t be seeing, they would die and the children grow old and die. That’s the APNU mindset.”