–as private institutions sign MoUs with Health Ministry to advance ‘voucher initiative

OVER 30 private hospitals, clinics, and health service providers on Monday signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with the Ministry of Health to provide services for the rollout of the Government’s various healthcare grants.

The signing took place in the Ministry of Health’s boardroom for these persons to provide services under the eye testing and spectacles voucher, cervical cancer screening, and the universal health voucher.

Some 31 companies are expected to provide services for eye testing and spectacles, eight for cervical cancer screening, and 36 for universal health screening.

During the ceremony, the Director of non-Communicable Diseases, Dr. Latchmie Lall explained to service providers that when the vouchers are issued to patients, information is to be recorded via a spreadsheet, and then the invoices are to be prepared.

Further detailing the process, she noted that when that information is sent, the team from the medical treatment department will go through it, have the voucher numbers verified, and further verification will take place from the surveillance team. Then invoices will be signed off on.

Dr. Lall indicated that the process this year should be smooth and seamless.

Meanwhile, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health, Malcolm Watkins disclosed that following feedback, the ministry has tried to improve certain systems to make the process this year seamless in dealing with the healthcare providers for the various grants.

“The Ministry of Health recognises the importance of the strategic partnership between you, the private sector, and the role you will play to keep our nation healthy, and to be more preventative in identifying critical illnesses potentially before it gets worse,” he said.

Watkins indicated that he expects that this will continue to grow.

In early February, Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony had said that all accredited medical laboratories across the country would be involved as the government moves to roll out the new universal healthcare voucher.

The initiative aims to provide 500,000 individuals with access to essential laboratory tests.

Set to launch soon, the programme will offer a $10,000 universal healthcare voucher to every Guyanese.

The eye testing and spectacles programme, which continues this year, was launched in June 2024 by the Ministry of Health, and was aimed at supporting Guyanese citizens by providing eye tests, screenings, and assistance with spectacles, if necessary.

Similarly, the cervical cancer screening programme was also launched in June 2024, and is set to continue this year, a move that was part of a comprehensive plan for the elimination of cervical cancer.