–facility to have 150 beds, further reduce referral rates, President Ali says

AS part of the government’s thrust towards providing improved healthcare services all across Guyana, the sod was on Friday evening turned for a new modern West Demerara Regional Hospital.

This new facility serves as an $11.4 billion investment in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), and is to be constructed at Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara.
During the sod-turning ceremony, President Dr. Irfaan Ali noted that the new hospital that will be constructed will have more than 150 beds, which he noted will not be configured in the traditional open-ward system as is common here.

This, he said, is so as to ensure there is more transparency and accountability with staff and among patients.

Delving into some of the features of the hospital, President Ali said that the inpatient facility will have an accident and emergency unit, intensive care unit, maternity and delivery, four operating theatres, the general ward, paediatric ICU wards, and neonatal and newborn ICU facilities.

Further, the outpatient aspect will cater for endoscopy services, an Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) clinic, dermatology, ophthalmology, internal medicine, dermatology and gynaecology clinics, among other important services.

“All of these services will come with this new hospital,” he remarked.
Against this backdrop, Dr. Ali indicated that there are very important concepts that must be understood in building out a world-class healthcare system.
Firstly, he said there must be world-class infrastructure, and the turning of the sod for this facility serves as another representation of that.

There must also be world-class equipment and diagnostic facilities, and this, he noted, is being built out across the country, as all facilities are being outfitted with the same.
The head of state noted that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government has focused significant investment on healthcare since 2020, all across Guyana, and will continue to do so into its next term in office.

Meanwhile, Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony, who also delivered remarks at the sod-turning ceremony, indicated that it is one of historic significance.
He indicated that one of the first things that President Ali had said when they got into government in 2020 was that he would like to see a world-class healthcare system being built out.
However, he said, “The president did not just say it, the president backed up what he was saying with the resources to ensure that we will be able to build this world-class healthcare system, and that is very important.”

Turning his attention to the new West Demerara Regional Hospital, Dr. Anthony indicated that things like digital imaging services will be provided at the new facility when it is complete.
To this end, he said that the facility will be outfitted with a CT Scan machine, mammography machine and importantly, also an MRI machine.

Of significance, the health minister revealed that the new hospital will also have its very own catheterisation laboratory, commonly called a ‘cath lab’. This facility serves as a place where doctors perform minimally invasive procedures on the heart and blood vessels.

“What that means is that if somebody comes in here with a heart attack, you will be evaluated at the accident and emergency and you’ll be sent upstairs straight to that lab; they will be able to check your heart to see which vessel is blocked, and once they are able to pick up which vessel is blocked, they will be able to put in stents,” he said.

This means that patients would no longer have to travel to Georgetown for these types of services.

Dr. Anthony remarked that the type of transformational projects that the government is investing in is going to change the quality of healthcare that is being delivered to the people, and make a huge difference.

“This prosperity that this country is enjoying, we want people to live long so that they can enjoy this prosperity. And that is why we are investing so much in your health,” the minister said in closing.