Once unable to perform a single surgery under the APNU+AFC administration, the Lethem Hospital in has since transformed into a regional healthcare hub, now drawing patients from neighbouring Brazil.
This was highlighted by President Dr Irfaan Ali on Monday as he addressed a large gathering of indigenous leaders from across the country at this year’s National Toshaos’ Council (NTC) Conference.
“Between 2015 and 2019 there was zero surgeries at the Lethem Regional Hospital. In 2024 alone from zero, we did 1216 surgeries at the Lethem Hospital,” he noted.
“Today, the services of the Lethem Hospital are of such high and exceptional quality that we are now taking record number of patients from Brazil getting their surgeries done here in Guyana,” he added.
According to President Ali, “these are the real facts on the ground, driven yes, by the vision and ideas and hard work of the PPP Civic government, but importantly, implemented by the strong leadership of our health workers, our community workers, our regional assets, and you, the community leaders.”
In fact, he noted that across the entire Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Essequibo), zero surgeries were performed between the period 2015 to 2020.
“At Aishalton and Annai, zero ophthalmology surgeries were conducted, zero facilities with vaccine refrigerators, zero oxygen generation production, and zero facilities with telemedicine,” the president lamented.
He noted too that between 2015 and 2020, 90% of all critical pregnancies had to be transferred out of the region. Today, he said less than 2% needs to be transferred out of the region.
Additionally, he said between 2015 and 2020, 39% of patients required medical evacuation to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).
In 2024 this dropped to 3% “because of the investment we are making, the improvement in the services, the quality of services”, the president noted.
On drugs and medical supplies in Region Nine, between 2015 and 2019 was 45%. Today, he said it is 90%.
“These very people who claim they care; they had zero specialist outreaches in this region between 2015 and 2020. In 2024 alone, we had eight specialist outreaches reaching 55,000 people across this region,” President Ali highlighted.
Furthermore, he said between 2015 and 2019, “zero nursing assistant were trained, zero MLT, zero hybrid professional nursing, zero nursing, zero malaria trained personnel, zero healthcare leadership training, zero position leadership training, zero PCA, zero vector control field assistant training, zero NICU nurses training between 2015 and 2019, zero.”
Between 2020 and 2024, the PPP administration trained more than 550 residents in these areas.
“Today, we have 25 vaccination sites, which include regional cold storage facility. Today we are generating oxygen right in the region, 2100 large and 1050 small cylinders. These are the investments that we are making,” President Ali emphasised.
“The malaria test positive rate has dropped significantly. We had a 53% reduction in malaria cases and we are going to continue this investment in Region Nine with the completion of the new Lethem Regional Hospital that will include new surgical theaters, CT scans, etcetera, a new regional pharmaceutical and medical supplies bond, a new medical school for health care professionals. Our nurses will be trained right there. Expansion of the services of the district hospital with the five core specialties, expansion of telemedicine, implementation of our electronic health record system, expansion of emergency services system, graduating health centers into polyclinics,” he added.
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