Better services now being delivered to our people – Region Nine Chairman

Chairman of Region Nine, Brian Allicock said the Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo (Region Nine) is experiencing better quality services under the PPP/C Administration.

In a recent interview with DPI, the chairman lauded the modern hospital which was recently commissioned to provide improved services to residents.

“So much has been done in terms of health development. We are having better services being delivered to our people, and of course even though we are in a pandemic, we still have to cater for the other diseases, other ailments and accidents. So, we’ve had the commissioning of the improved and modern hospital where we have an A1 treatment center for patients,” he said.

He said work is currently ongoing at the Aishalton hospital, which will allow the facility to accommodate surgical procedures. Work is expected to be completed by next year.

He added that a children’s ward has also been constructed in the hospital, along with other departments for vaccines and other services.

“Along with that, we are developing the Aishalton hospital in order to have surgery done at that hospital…so we are looking at that completion by next year and commissioning so that we’ll have surgeons stationed there so patients don’t have to travel a distance for surgery…

We have recently finished the children’s part of the hospital, where we’ll have the children’s ward to have pediatrics. So, we are developing all the time and we’ve had constructed, different departments where we house the vaccines,” Mr. Allicock stated.

Government is currently training 50 health care workers, who will return to the region to serve their respective villages.

Further, smart classrooms have been set up for students to better access their school work. Allicock said “even though we were faced with the pandemic and children were not interfacing with the teachers, they did well.”

Regarding electricity, Allicock said the region is being powered by six heavy-duty generators. Solar farms, hydroelectricity and wind turbine, will also be installed.  

“The fossil fuel generator will be only for standby, if we get a breakdown that would come on but that would be in reserve eventually, so we go directly with renewable energy,” Mr. Allicock related.

Additionally, construction of Information Communication Technology (ICT) hubs is ongoing. Infrastructural works on roads and drains are also underway.

The Chairman has lauded the government for the interest shown in indigenous communities such as his.