-President Ali announces at sod-turning for $6B Kato Hospital

PRESIDENT Dr. Irfaan Ali has revealed that his government has invested over $10 billion in healthcare infrastructure and services for Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) since taking office in 2020.

The announcement came during Friday’s sod-turning ceremony for the new modern Kato Hospital, a flagship project aimed at transforming healthcare access in the hinterland.

The healthcare facility is being constructed at a cost of nearly $6 billion, with completion expected within 24 months.

Addressing a packed audience of residents, village leaders, and regional officials, President Ali emphasised that the initiative reflects his government’s unwavering commitment to enhancing healthcare access and delivery in Guyana’s hinterland regions.

The Guyanese leader revealed that the new healthcare facility will span over 57,000 square feet which is 57 times larger than the existing Mahdia Hospital.

It will feature 75 beds, including 45 designated for inpatients, and a $200 million modern housing facility for doctors and nurses. Unlike traditional open wards, this hospital will have wards with a maximum of five patients, each equipped with private washrooms and dedicated support systems.

According to him, the facility will include 100 per cent first-grade hospital beds (not cots), an operating theatre for procedures such as cataract surgeries and Caesarean section (C-section), and a modern emergency room with a dedicated procedure room for minor surgeries.

Additional services will include diagnostic imaging such as X-rays and CT scans, a laboratory, outpatient department, pharmacy, a digital health control room, a dialysis centre, a modern maternity unit, pediatric services, a neonatal intensive care unit and an intensive care unit.

President Ali pointed out that this single hospital represents a greater investment in healthcare for Region Eight than what was spent by the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) government in the region during their five-year tenure in office.

Under the APNU+AFC government, he said, $1.4 billion was spent, whereas the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) government has invested over $10 billion, marking a 700 per cent increase in investment.

Emphasising the government’s commitment, he stated, “We care, and we will not stop until every citizen, every community has equal access to the same standard of service. You deserve the same standard of service like anyone else across the country.”

“Healthcare is not a privilege; it is a fundamental right,” Dr Ali declared.

“This region is exploding with development, and we want all of you to be a part of this. The People’s Progressive Party continues to be that government that delivers to you every single day. Every single thing we have promised in the manifesto, we have delivered. And we are delivering more than what we have promised in the manifesto,” he added.

To support the hospital, the president announced that individuals in the region with five Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) subjects are being enrolled in the nursing programme and the Community Health Worker programme.

“The Kato Hospital will provide 24-hour high-quality service and care. We are not just turning the sod; we are turning the page of a new chapter in the story of Kato and people of Region Eight. This hospital symbolises progress, equality, and hope. It shows what is possible with a genuine caring government, with an administration that is built on policies that are people-centred.”

Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, stated that the sod-turning marked a historic moment, not only for Region Eight but for all of Guyana.

He emphasised that it signifies a transformation in the healthcare landscape of the region. Dr. Anthony highlighted the failure of the APNU+AFC government to upgrade the region’s healthcare system, stating, “Not long ago, in 2019, when we look back at what was available for healthcare here, it was not much. I recall the hospital in Mahdia, while they were calling it a hospital, we were not able to do any surgeries. I’m not sure how we say it is a hospital—it was only doing primary healthcare services, basically outpatient clinics. A few patients were admitted, but nothing serious could be done for them.”

Fast forward to 2020, and for the first time in the history of the region, he said his government was able to establish an operating theatre at the Mahdia Hospital.

With the addition of the operating theatre and the necessary equipment, the minister explained that the hospital gained the capacity to perform surgeries.

Over the past year, it successfully carried out 46 surgeries for people living in Mahdia and the surrounding communities.

According to Dr Anthony, this development has allowed residents to save both money and time that would otherwise be spent travelling to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

He said the facility can now perform ultrasounds and has an upgraded laboratory.

“Before, we had to send samples to Georgetown for testing, and they would run the tests and send back the results to the doctors in the region. And of course that took a lot of time,” he explained.

Meanwhile, Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai, urged citizens to support the government’s ambitious development agenda.

“If we all unite towards providing the contribution to our country’s development, Guyana will not only be the fastest growing economy…it will be the country that has transformed and transitioned the fastest as it relates to a modern beautiful country.”

Additionally, she pointed out that prioritising Guyana’s first peoples has been a defining feature of the PPP/C government.