Construction of new Bartica hospital to commence before year-end – Min. Anthony

As access to primary and tertiary healthcare continues to expand in Guyana, construction of the new Bartica Regional Hospital will commence before year-end, Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony has revealed.

He was delivering remarks at the launching of the Professional Nursing Training Programme – Hybrid Approach on Monday, where he reminded that the health sector is being transformed.

Some $830 million was allocated in budget 2023 to complete the design and commence construction for the Region Seven hospital.

Additionally, work on several hinterland health facilities will also begin before year-end.  Some $1 billion was allocated in budget 2023 to retrofit and upgrade health centres, health posts, and other facilities across the country

“We’re working to upgrade Lethem and to build a new hospital in Kamarang, a new hospital in Moruca, and a new hospital in Kato. The assessments have already started and by the end of the year, we should be substantially along our way to upgrading these facilities,” the health minister disclosed.

Additionally, construction is underway on the six world-class regional hospitals in Anna Regina, Region Two; De Kinderen, Region Three; Bath, Region Five; Number 75 Village, Region Six; one at Diamond and another at Enmore in Region Four and the Paediatric and Maternal Hospital in Ogle.

And to complement the massive infrastructure in the health sector, several training programmes for healthcare professionals are being rolled out.

Only recently, the hybrid Professional Nursing Training Programme was launched to train 1,160 Registered Nurses (RNs) in three years.

The government in 2023 allocated a mammoth $84.9 billion to further advance the health sector.