-tens of thousands reaping benefits of new hospitals, digitised records, health vouchers
GUYANA’S healthcare sector continues to develop and modernise to meet the medical demands of the nation, with more than $50 billion invested in the first half of 2026, according to the government’s mid-year report, produced by the Ministry of Finance.
Major investments included more than $2 billion for expanding healthcare infrastructure, more than $400 billion for expanding and modernising the inventory of medical equipment, and more than $200 million for developing healthcare professionals. A number of projects and initiatives are planned for the second half of the year, with continued investment in infrastructure, training and access to healthcare set to drive the sector’s growth.
As government remains committed to delivering a world-class health sector, investment continued in the expansion of health coverage nationwide, with $58.6 billion of a $161.1 billion budget expended in the first half of the year. A major share went toward developing facilities, equipment and drugs.
Work continued in 2026 on state-of-the-art regional hospitals in Moruca, West Demerara, Bartica, Kato and Lethem, while construction at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and polyclinics at Campbellville and Industry are scheduled for completion in the second half of the year. A further $2.3 billion was spent on construction, retrofitting and maintenance of other health facilities across all regions, and construction of the National Neurological Rehabilitation Centre is expected to begin in the second half of 2026.
The modernisation and expansion of healthcare inventory and medical equipment saw an investment of $488.4 million in the first half of 2026. Major developments include the GPHC’s first Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine, an additional Computed Tomography (CT) scanner, and a Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory machine, all slated for installation in the second half of the year.
Fifty new telemedicine sites were installed in Regions One, Two, Seven, Eight, Nine and 10, with 70 more proposed for the second half of the year. Artificial intelligence has also been used to improve access to healthcare, with AI systems now running across 21 health facilities and expected to expand to 15 more. Steps were also taken to use drone technology to deliver essential medical supplies and robotic technology to improve specialty care, while work to clear the backlog of children needing cardiac surgery will begin in the second half of the year.
A total of $17.2 billion was expended in the first half of the year on the procurement of drugs and medical supplies. To ensure timely and adequate supply, the Onderneeming and Bamia regional distribution centres have been completed, while three more, in Mabaruma, Williamsburg and Lethem, are slated for completion in the second half of the year. According to the report, these centres will use a newly designed, fully digitised supply chain management system aimed at reducing waste and improving logistics, stock management and distribution countrywide.
The ministry also continued rolling out its Electronic Health Records (EHR) system at the Festival City Polyclinic, where more than 5,900 patient profiles have been created to improve treatment monitoring and reduce paper-based records.
The GPHC is also expanding its rollout, with medical, surgical and paediatric records to be digitally recorded by the end of 2026, alongside ongoing training and infrastructure testing to reduce service disruption. Government has also launched an online portal for patient feedback to strengthen service delivery and accountability.
Investment in healthcare infrastructure has been matched by investment in human resource capacity. A total of $226 million was spent advancing the New Amsterdam and Suddie nursing schools and dormitories, all of which are expected to be completed in the second half of the year. Two new specialised post-graduate programmes, in adult cardiology and nursing anaesthesia, began in the first half of 2026, with 273 people now training across 23 post-graduate specialty programmes and 60 expected to graduate in November. A further 128 nursing and allied professionals have completed training, with 2,798 currently enrolled and 1,345 more projected to begin by year’s end.
Voucher programmes continue to play a role in tackling chronic disease, as the report notes that 49,836 eye examinations were completed and more than 50,000 spectacle vouchers issued in the first half of 2026, while 3,705 women benefited from cervical cancer vouchers and 38,935 people received universal healthcare vouchers. An additional 121 people received free prosthetic limbs and 478 received free hearing aids. All dialysis machines at the six regional hospitals will be fully operational by the second half of 2026, with 15 more machines being procured. The Ministry of Health’s HEARTS programme is now active at 250 facilities, reaching more than 28,000 patients, and colorectal screening will launch in September at the Enmore, Diamond, Linden, Lethem and De Kinderen hospitals.
Steps have also been taken to combat non-communicable and infectious diseases. Seventy-seven people were trained in integrated vector control management in Regions One, Seven and Eight to strengthen malaria and dengue prevention, surveillance and elimination efforts. Work continues toward eliminating filaria by 2030, with a Transmission Assessment Survey in preparation. Guyana has also advanced plans to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2031, including a review of the HIV Strategic Plan to guide the country’s response from 2026 to 2031; voluntary testing remains available at 82 sites, and Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) distribution continues. On mental health, 80 primary health workers were trained to integrate mental health services into primary care, with 30 more to follow as part of a broader goal of region-specific mental health and suicide prevention plans under a decentralised model.
The report also highlights steps to improve maternal care through specialised training and targeted interventions, including efforts to ensure all hinterland hospitals have waiting homes for mothers to reduce risk. Through the expansion of the school health programme from nursery to secondary level, 12,555 students have been screened so far, with 60,000 expected by year’s end. In the second half of the year, focus will shift to mental health, substance abuse and early autism screening. Together, these investments and initiatives reflect the government’s continued commitment to delivering a world-class health sector.
