Work to begin this year on new, modern Corentyne hospital

Residents of Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) will be the beneficiaries of improved health infrastructure in several parts of the region, including a new modern hospital at No.75 Village Corentyne.

Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony said four acres of land will be used for the construction of the hospital for which resources were provided in this year’s national budget. The health sector received $73.2 billion of which $12.4billion will be spent on developing six new modern hospitals around the country.

Minister Anthony, at a recent function in the region, noted that significant investments were made towards repairing different sections of the Skeldon hospital and enhancing the facilities there.

“We recognise that there are challenges there, and one of the things that we have started to do was to repair different sections of that hospital. Recently a new ward was opened and all the facilities that we have there we have enhanced, and that type of work is going to continue. 

But we also recognised another fundamental truth and that is, we have outgrown the place that we have at Skeldon, and if we are going to tinkle with the things that we have there, change a couple of boards, change something here and there, it’s not going to give us the kind of hospital that we need to deliver modern type of health care, and so the government has taken a decision that we are going to build a brand-new hospital for that area,” Dr. Anthony said.

The health minister said, the new hospital will have modern accident and emergency, outpatient sections.

“You would have an inpatient setting of about 75 beds, and you would also have beds for the key specialty obstetrics and gynaecology, surgery, internal medicine and so forth, but we will also have three theatres,” Dr. Anthony noted.

The new hospital will also be outfitted with a laboratory, a CT scanner and other imaging facilities. Images taken will be backed up which could be accessed by doctors in Georgetown.

“You will see us starting work this year, and very shortly, we want between a two-year period to substantially complete all of this project, so there is opportunity for people to start thinking about jobs that will be created for this new facility the way that we will want to run it,” the health minister noted.

Training opportunities will also be provided for all levels of medical professionals this year. Minister Anthony is hopeful that persons from the region will grasp the opportunities to serve.

“It’s not only about infrastructure, it is also the human resource that we need to ensure that we can lift the quality of healthcare in the region and the country as a whole,” Dr Anthony said.