Govt constructing new health centres
The Ministry of Health is constructing health centres across Guyana to complement the regional hospitals and ensure modern facilities for healthcare workers across the regions.
This initiative aims to decentralise and expand the range of public healthcare services provided to citizens, enhancing accessibility for communities nationwide.
This was according to Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony on Tuesday, while speaking at a Community Health Workers graduation on Tuesday. He underscored the importance of ensuring that health centres operate at a minimum standard.
“As we build out these facilities, the idea is to have the hospitals but around them, we want to have health centres and health posts. And we want the health posts to be able to deliver a certain level of services,” the minister explained.
These new health centres are part of a broader effort to decentralise healthcare services and introduce new ones.
Currently, health centres are under construction in Big Biaboo and Esau Jacob in Region Five. These projects nearing completion and are expected to be commissioned in the coming weeks.
To ensure effective utilisation of these new facilities, the ministry is prioritising the training of healthcare personnel who will return to their communities equipped with the necessary skills to provide quality services.
“I want to ensure that we provide good facilities for healthcare staff. We are on a mission to improve health in Guyana. And the way we are doing that is that we are building infrastructures and adding new services, and we are doing it in all of the regions,” Minister Anthony stated.
This year, a substantial budget of $5 billion has been allocated to retrofit and upgrade health centres and posts across the country.
In February, the Koko and Wallaba Health Posts in the Moruca sub-district of Region One were officially reopened, enhancing healthcare access for residents in those areas.
Moreover, on Saturday, Minister Anthony will commission the Canefield Health Centre in Region Six, further expanding the network of healthcare facilities.
In addition to these efforts, the government is working on constructing and rehabilitating five hospitals in the hinterland regions, with tenders already issued for these projects.
New hospitals are planned for Moruca in Region One, Kato in Region Eight, and Kamarang in Region Seven, while significant renovations will be undertaken at the Lethem and Bartica hospitals.
Furthermore, six new hospitals are under construction along the coast at strategic locations including Number 75 Village in Region Six, Bath in Region Five, Enmore and Diamond in Region Four, De Kinderen in Region Three, and Lima in Region Two.
These initiatives represent a comprehensive effort to bolster healthcare infrastructure and services throughout Guyana, ensuring that modern, accessible healthcare is available to all citizens.