Aranaputa $12.5M Health Post recommissioned

-To provide improved health services to over 600 residents

Over 600 residents from Aranaputa in Region Nine are now enjoying improved access to health services at Aranaputa’s reconstructed health post valued at around $12.5 million.

The new facility was commissioned by Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony on Friday.

Regional Chairman Bryan Allicock, Regional Health Officer Dr Cerdel McWatt and other representatives from the ministry and region were also in attendance.

Services being offered at the upgraded facility include antenatal healthcare, chronic diseases, infant and preschool healthcare, family planning, home visit and outpatient.

Chairperson of Aranaputa Community Development Council, Gillian Rodrigues, told the Department of Public Information (DPI) that she welcomed the improvements that were recently conducted to upgrade the facility.

Before this intervention, she said that villagers used to frequent Annai Health Centre to receive medical treatment while major health issues used to be referred to Lethem Regional Hospital.

“[For a long time], Aranaputa had requested for an upgrade of the health post. We are thankful to the government for the newly established health post in our community. Now, with the upgrade of the new district hospital [at Annai], we can transfer our patients there. So, they no longer have to go to Lethem [Regional Hospital],” she added.

Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony highlighted that the government is undertaking a massive infrastructural programme to improve the region’s healthcare system.

The region currently boasts about 62 health facilities.

“We’ve set aside monies from our budget to make sure we can improve infrastructure across the region. We do not want any infrastructure to be left undone where people can feel uncomfortable…This particular post was a very old one. They started to try to repair it but eventually found that they needed to do major rehabilitation,” Minister Anthony said.

And so, Dr Anthony added that almost $10 million was spent to upgrade the entire facility and $2.5 million more was invested to furnish the facility.

“More importantly, the people who utilise the services here would be in a comfortable space,” he further stated.

The government is also decentralising training opportunities in the health sector to individuals in the region to improve the level of care being delivered. 

Minister Anthony said that nurses will soon benefit from several specialised training courses including critical care nursing and cardiac care…

The residents were encouraged to utilise all the health services that are available, such as the universal healthcare voucher, cervical screening voucher and eye testing and spectacles voucher.

“Work with us so that you can stay healthy and live longer…We have a plan to improve the prosperity of every person in Guyana,” he further emphasised.