AI in healthcare more than innovation – Pres Ali
Guyana’s vision of a world-class health system cannot be achieved without the integration of artificial intelligence (AI), President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali underscored on Thursday.
During his address at a national seminar on AI in healthcare at the Guyana Marriott Hotel in Kingston, Georgetown, President Ali made it clear that the question is no longer about whether AI will shape healthcare, but how it will be structured, controlled, and integrated into the country’s development strategy.
At the centre of this transformation, the president said, is a shift away from the traditional reactive healthcare model, noting that for decades health systems have largely focused on treating illnesses after they occur.
“AI will be intercepted and integrated into the national system as part of our institutional framework. AI, therefore, is not waiting for illness to appear. It is identifying patterns before illness fully emerges,” he added.
The Guyanese leader contended that, unlike most sectors, healthcare generates continuous data, affects every citizen, and requires immediate response.
Because of these factors, the sector can help transform how the country operates.
President Ali warned that with the adoption of AI, a critical question of ownership arises, which is beyond technology.
“Artificial intelligence introduces a new dimension because in the AI era, the critical question is not only who owns data,” the president pointed out. “Let me put it plainly. If a population’s data is processed elsewhere, their reality is being interpreted elsewhere.”
Therefore, he made it clear that while partnerships and technical support remain important, there is emphasis on maintaining control over national data and ensuring intelligence generated from it remains a domestic asset.
President Ali also highlighted the risks associated with AI, noting that the system does not automatically create fairness, but amplifies the conditions in which it operates.
Guyana is already making efforts to address this with data collection expanding across all regions, including hinterland communities, to ensure no population remains invisible within the system.
Similarly, investments in healthcare infrastructure, training, and access are being distributed more evenly to reduce longstanding disparities.
Yet, President Ali said, technology alone will not determine success. One of the most significant barriers to AI adoption is not the sophistication of algorithms, but the strength of institutions.
“This is why we’re building more hospitals. This is why we’re supporting the development of specialist treatment, speciality hospitals. This is why health expenditure is surging. But qualitatively, we are building out a healthcare ecosystem that can detect risk early, respond intelligently and deliver care effectively,” he noted.
Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony also delivered remarks alongside the Executive Director of Mount Sinai’s Guyana Healthcare Initiative, Dr Rachael Vreeman, and the Chief Clinical Officer and President of Mount Sinai Health System, Dr David Leich.