GUYANA’S investments in cancer care are reshaping how patients are diagnosed and treated, as the country is now expanding access with the incorporation of new technologies and improved screening capabilities.
These were the views expressed by the Director of Outreach at the Cancer Institute of Guyana, Dr Syed Ghazi, during a recent airing of the ‘Starting Point’ podcast.
Dr. Ghazi, one of the early pioneers of oncology services in the country, spoke extensively about Guyana’s transformation in the cancer treatment landscape and the progress that has been made.
From a single radiation unit to plans for a national oncology hospital, Dr. Ghazi noted that the advancements in cancer care not only reflect medical progress but also a growing national will to ensure no one faces cancer without access to care.
While speaking on those early years, he highlighted challenges such as patients being in denial and refusing to be treated and the institute only offering limited services.
Today, the transformation is striking and Dr. Ghazi has labelled it as a “big change.”
From having “nothing there,” as Dr. Ghazi put it, Guyana’s Cancer Institute itself has gone through a number of phases: to offering CT scans, mammograms and X-rays.
“Now, I don’t see that many advanced, neglected cases as we used to see. So that is itself a proof of progress we have made,” he said, while pointing to the awareness being raised.
Soon, Guyana’s Cancer Institute will offer brachytherapy, he disclosed.
“It’s very effective for cervical cancer. Actually, it cures cervical cancer. In a meeting months ago with the President [President Irfaan Ali), I found him also very interested. He’s passionate about treating those patients who are suffering. I think they’re working on an oncology hospital. So, it is going to be a good milestone soon, when we would have not one, but maybe multiple institutions trying to treat cancer patients,” the director explained.
The government is working with Mount Sinai Hospital to establish an advanced oncology centre in Guyana, President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali noted earlier this year, which will bring cutting-edge cancer diagnostics, treatment and research to these shores, thus reducing the need for patients to travel abroad for care.
With this, the health transformation also includes the establishment first-of-its-kind stroke rehabilitation centre in Guyana, designed to support one of the country’s leading causes of death and disability.
At the same time, the President had noted that Guyana is also building a first-class health emergency system, in collaboration with Northwell Health, to revolutionise emergency response and show faster, more efficient care and coordinated hospital transfer.
“We are not merely making improvements. We are building a system that is second to none, the healthcare system that is modern, responsive, compassionate and world-class,” the President had said.
Health services in Guyana have dramatically improved in recent years, with various health institutes receiving significant boosts to better serve cancer patients.
A new $43 million mammogram machine was commissioned in April of this year at Lethem Regional Hospital in Region Nine, reducing the need for women in the hinterland to travel to Georgetown for breast cancer screening.
The Siemens machine is described as one of the most advanced systems globally, offering high-depth resolution and diagnostic precision. Takutu-Upper Essequibo became the first hinterland region to offer mammography services.
A year ago, mammography services were available only at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).
Breast cancer screening has since expanded, with mammography machines now in place at Suddie Hospital in Region Two, New Amsterdam Hospital in Region Six, and Linden Hospital Complex in Region Ten.
BOLSTERING ACCESS
The Sunday Chronicle had reported earlier this year, that over 30 private hospitals, clinics, and health service providers 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.
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.