—Modern facility to serve 2,000 residents, offer wider range of essential health services
THE Government of Guyana, on Friday, commissioned the newly rebuilt Charlestown Health Centre (No. 1 Dispensary), a modern G$201.8 million facility that is expected to significantly improve access to primary healthcare for approximately 2,000 residents in and around the community.
The commissioning ceremony was led by Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony, alongside Minister within the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport Steven Jacobs, Director General of the Ministry of Health Dr Vishwa Mahadeo, regional health officials, healthcare workers and community members.
Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Anthony said the new facility forms part of the government’s wider strategy to modernise the country’s healthcare system by upgrading ageing infrastructure and expanding the range of services available at the community level.
He noted that the Ministry of Health currently manages 405 health facilities nationwide, including 10 in Georgetown, many of which required extensive rehabilitation.
“We recognised that many of these facilities had infrastructural challenges and were not adequately equipped to provide the quality of care that patients deserve. As a government, we are committed to ensuring that every citizen has access to modern, high-quality healthcare services, and that is why we continue to upgrade health facilities across the country,” Dr Anthony said.
Unlike the former health centre, the new Charlestown facility has been purpose-built to deliver a wider range of services in a modern and patient-friendly environment.
Residents will now have access to maternal and child health services, antenatal and postnatal care, childhood immunisation, chronic disease management, men’s and women’s health services, cervical cancer screening, Human Papillomavirus (HPV) testing and other essential primary healthcare services.
Dr Anthony said strengthening primary healthcare remains a key priority, as it allows patients to receive timely treatment closer to home while reducing unnecessary visits to hospitals.
The minister also underscored the importance of Guyana’s immunisation programme, urging parents to continue ensuring their children receive all recommended vaccines to protect them from preventable diseases.
He further highlighted the Ministry’s HPV vaccination programme, describing it as central to Guyana’s efforts to eliminate cervical cancer.
“Cervical cancer is currently the second most common cancer affecting women in Guyana, but it is preventable. By increasing HPV vaccination coverage among boys and girls between the ages of nine and fifteen, we can eliminate cervical cancer from our country,” he said.
Dr Anthony encouraged women to make use of the centre’s cervical cancer screening services, including HPV testing and Pap smears, stressing that early detection remains one of the most effective tools in preventing the disease.
Addressing the increasing prevalence of non-communicable diseases, the Health Minister urged residents—particularly men—to seek routine medical check-ups rather than waiting until illnesses become advanced.
He explained that early diagnosis and treatment of conditions such as diabetes and hypertension can help prevent serious complications, including kidney failure, amputations, blindness and strokes.
“The services are available here in your community. We want people to come early, get screened, receive treatment if necessary and prevent complications before they occur,” he said.
Dr Anthony said the upgraded health centre has been designed to function as more than a traditional community clinic by offering a broader range of healthcare services while operating within an integrated referral system for patients requiring specialised treatment at hospitals.
He also announced that the Ministry of Health has begun piloting a digital appointment system at the Festival City Health Centre, allowing patients to book appointments through a mobile application.
The initiative, he said, is expected to reduce waiting times, improve efficiency and will eventually be expanded to other health facilities as part of the ministry’s ongoing efforts to modernise healthcare delivery across Guyana.
