Universal Healthcare Voucher represents a 40% to 70% discount on healthcare services Guyanese will receive – President Ali highlights

– over 500,000 Guyanese to benefit from $10,000 voucher

In a targeted approach to improving the nation’s health and well-being, the government officially launched the $10,000 Universal Healthcare Voucher enabling Guyanese to access critical medical tests to provide essential baseline health data.

These critical medical tests will allow medical professionals to detect various diseases, including diabetes, anemia, coronary heart disease, kidney disease, increased risk of prostate cancer, hyperlipidemia and uncontrolled cholesterol levels, among others.

This will lead to better treatment outcomes, reduced healthcare costs by preventing complications and improved life expectancy.

This $5 billion intervention will benefit over 500,000 individuals countrywide.

The groundbreaking initiative was launched by President Dr Mohamed Irfaan on Saturday, at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre at Liliendaal.

President Ali made it clear that top-notch healthcare services must be accessible, proactive and preventative.

He reemphasised that the government is building a world-class healthcare system to deliver specialised medical services to every citizen.

President Ali highlighted that the voucher will significantly offset medical costs for Guyanese.

“Once you have this voucher, it is not only about the $10,000. It is about a 40 to 70 per cent discount on the services that you will receive at the labs and hospitals. I want to applaud the private sector for their level of consciousness in supporting this initiative,” the head of state underlined.

According to President Ali, 80 per cent of chronic diseases could be prevented if people lead better lifestyles and choices.

The Guyanese leader pointed out, “The healthcare system is shifting from a treatment-based system to a preventative-based healthcare system, focusing on early detection, vaccination programme, lifestyle choices, and policy intervention. And that is what this allows us to do. We can’t do any of that if we don’t have the data.”

The government has partnered with 36 healthcare facilities to roll out this programme, ensuring that every citizen, regardless of geography, has access to high-quality medical screening. 

The voucher will be available at health centres, hospitals and medical outreaches which can be utilised at 49 accredited public or private health institutions.

Special efforts are also being made for similar services to be more accessible to hinterland regions and remote communities.

The president pointed to the investments that are being made in the six regional hospitals and the maternal and pediatric hospital to provide specialised care.

The government, President Ali added, has spent almost $4 billion in specialised interventions to support the Guyanese.

Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony said that the ministry is placing a heavy focus on preventative care, ensuring that individuals can access the relevant tests to determine whether they are at risk for certain diseases.

Dr Anthony pointed to the series of medical interventions and investments that the government is making in the health sector to bolster the quality of care being offered to Guyanese.

This significant screening initiative complements a wide menu of health services that are available in the public health system, free of cost.