-Residents highlight the hospital’s impact on jobs, access and community well-being.

LAST week saw Guyana’s President, Dr Irfaan Ali commission yet another state-of-the-art medical facility, equipped with 75 in-patient beds, a modern accident and emergency unit operating on 24-hour basis and several operating theatres for emergency and elective surgeries.

The Enmore Regional Hospital is just one of many projects that are revolutionising Guyana’s healthcare landscape.
For years, residents of Enmore relied on a small polyclinic in the area or travel to Georgetown or Mahaicony to seek treatment, often facing long waits and high travel costs. With the opening of the new hospital, community members say they finally feel seen and supported.

“This hospital is a great initiative,” said Leroy Smith, a former Enmore resident now based in the United States.
“I came here last Saturday and today I heard about the opening. I must say thanks to the government. I drove around a lot and I see a lot of things going on, so it’s great. It would be a great service to this community and the surrounding area.”

The hospital will serve not only Enmore, but also the wider Region Four communities, including Buxton, Victoria, Nabaclis, Golden Grove, and beyond.
Shawn Baynes highlighted the relief it brings to people who previously had to endure long waits and added transportation costs.
“It is a great relief to the people within Region Four and the East-West corridor. You don’t have to go to Georgetown or Mahaicony and wait long to be served. I must say thanks to the government, our President, and our Minister of Health for this gesture for the people of Guyana,” he said.
The hospital also represents more than just healthcare to some.

For Deoraj Nauth, a lifelong Enmore resident, the new hospital will diversify the local economy by creating what he calls much-needed jobs for the community.
“As a born Enmorean, it would help to reduce unemployment that was caused by the closure of the sugar industry. It would be a boost to the entire East Coast where people would get treatment at a higher degree of expedition.”

For others, it’s about comfort, convenience and community pride.
Shurwyn Stewart, who previously worked at the Enmore estate, said, “I know a lot of the people personally who are around here, I see a lot of friends who are here and who are happy that the hospital is here, so it’s going to be very convenient for them. They don’t have to go to Georgetown. It’s going to improve the general health of the community.”
Munindra Seeraj also praised the project, calling it a “significant improvement” from what had existed before.

“First of all, the hospital here at Enmore, it’s a significant improvement to what we had before. As you would know, there was a polyclinic that couldn’t serve all the members within this community and our neighbouring communities.

“However, with the state-of-the-art hospital here, we are now capable of addressing each and every community member as well as our neighbours within this district and leading on to the outskirts of it.”

Highlighting impact, Sandra Sukhu noted that thousands would benefit from the hospital.
“Thousands of people would benefit from this hospital, and I know that it would be a great relief, so we don’t have to go to Georgetown anymore. We can come right here and do all our tests. “
Kuntie Tekchand added that the hospital is not only a gift to Enmore, but to Guyanese across the region.

“This hospital is very accommodating for us I must say. I thank the Government of Guyana, Dr Irfaan Ali for such a wonderful thing for everyone and I think each and every one of the Guyanese will be beneficial for this hospital wherever region you are from, you could get assistance.”

The Enmore Hospital forms part of the government’s broader plan to improve health infrastructure across the country. Residents are hopeful that with more initiatives such as this, healthcare in Guyana will become more modern, accessible, and reliable.