$35M to set up diabetic clinic at Lusignan Health Centre

Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, has announced $35 million for the establishment of a diabetic prevention and rehabilitation clinic at the Lusignan Health Centre.

Delivering the 2021 Budget in the National Assembly on Friday, Dr. Singh said the challenges of COVID-19 has caused Government to reassess treatment of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). 

“Persons suffering from chronic diseases such as diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, and cardiovascular ailments are at greater risk of mortality if they contract COVID-19. This Government’s focus is on bringing to the forefront the prevention and curative aspects of chronic diseases, recognising that screening for NCDs needs to be scaled up exponentially. 

We have made a provision of $35 million for the establishment of a diabetic prevention and rehabilitation clinic at the Lusignan Health Centre.”

Minister Singh said the Government would re-orient itself to increase outreach to take healthcare and screening to communities through the Health Ministry. 

Information and statistics compiled by the World Diabetes Foundation (WDF) reveal that Guyanese are severely affected by type 2 diabetes. Studies show that no ethnic group is excluded. “Indo-Guyanese, Afro-Guyanese and Amerindian – are all high-risk groups,” the study states. 

Fourteen per cent of the Guyanese adult population is also afflicted with the disease. “This is the highest prevalence in South America and is expected to rise to 17.9% by 2030,” the WDF study says. 

Meanwhile, Minister Singh also announced that the Government intends to intensify its partnerships with civil society organisations to encourage expanded testing and continued care for persons with HIV. He announced $900 million for related treatment and testing “to ensure that persons living with the virus are able to remain on their anti-retroviral treatment, thereby curbing transmission.”  

The public health sector was allocated $53.5 billion in this year’s budget, which was presented under the theme ‘A Path to Recovery, Economic Dynamism and Resilience’.