–President Ali announces, touts plan to have emergency diagnostic centre in every region

BUILDING on the momentum of developing a world-class healthcare system, the construction of a modern rehabilitation centre will start this year, complementing the new state-of-the-art regional hospitals that will soon come on-stream, President Dr. Irfaan Ali has announced.

From the construction and rehabilitation of health centres nationwide to the training of thousands of Guyanese, President Ali, during a recent live broadcast, spoke extensively on how the healthcare system has evolved since 2020.

“As you know, a lot of our people are affected by stroke, and we don’t have a modern ‘rehab’ centre, so, this year, we’re going to commence the building of a ‘rehab’ centre that will look at the comprehensive rehabilitation in different areas,” the Head of State related.

This centre will be completed by 2027, and will supplement the investments made so far in Guyana’s healthcare sector, which is being designed to ensure all Guyanese have equitable access to crucial medical services.

On that note, the President said that 25 health centres have been built, thus far.
From the works to digitise the healthcare sector to the implementation of telemedicine, the government is putting in place modern technologies that would aid in improving service delivery and empowering patients.

It is important to understand that already the telemedicine project is taking shape in various hinterland villages.
Approximately 300 health facilities across Guyana are expected to be connected to Starlink by June 2025, thereby enhancing telemedicine services nationwide, Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony recently announced.

Starlink, a satellite-operated Internet constellation, is being utilised to improve healthcare delivery, particularly in remote areas.
Currently, 53 telemedicine sites are connected to Starlink, with plans to expand to 85 by year-end and exceed 100 by 2025.

This cutting-edge technology ensures efficient and wide-reaching healthcare services, particularly in hinterland regions. It also allows health professionals in remote areas to consult with their counterparts in the city, aiding in patient diagnoses and treatment decisions.

Telemedicine facilitates real-time sharing of medical data, enabling remote professionals to observe the same details as on-site staff and issue electronic medical transfers where necessary.
Additionally, the digitisation of Guyana’s healthcare sector through the addition of electronic health records is expected to move ahead in the coming year, as the contract for same is to be awarded soon.

This was according to Dr. Anthony who, during his end-of-year press conference, said that some progress has been made in this regard.
He said that the IDB-funded project went to tender earlier this year, and several expressions of interest were received.

Life-saving emergency services will be available in every region, President Ali said, marking a significant step towards having stronger healthcare infrastructure for all.
Dr. Ali stated: “We understand also that the national emergency healthcare system, we have to invest in this, so, very soon, we’re going to put together a team to look at ways in which we can enhance emergency healthcare.”

In this regard, he stated that the government is looking at having a world-class, scalable emergency healthcare diagnostic centre in every region, which will support the regional hospitals.
These diagnostic centres will have ultrasound, x-ray, Computed Tomography (CT) scan, Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) facilities and mammography machines installed. Notably, 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 (East Berbice-Corentyne), 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 (Pomeroon-Supenaam); DeKinderen, Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara); Diamond and Enmore, Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), and Bath, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) is in progress.

To support the building out of a world-class healthcare system, so far, more than 3,700 Guyanese have been trained in the healthcare system.
This was highlighted by President Ali, who explained that these citizens were trained in various areas, from administration to nursing.