The Dr Irfaan Ali-led Administration is close to finalising an agreement with the renowned New York-based Mount Sinai Health System, which will see them partnering with the Government to set up a first-class facility in Guyana.
President Ali made the announcement while meeting with the Guyanese diaspora in Los Angeles, California. It had previously been announced that the Government was working with Mount Sinai Health System to incorporate the private sector into developing a “global centre of excellence” for cancer treatment in Guyana.
“We must have an excellent healthcare system. And by the way, in the healthcare system, we are in the final stages of having Mount Sinai as our health partner to take the healthcare system forward. You will see an announcement soon,” President Ali said.
“And this is for the region, because we are closing off arrangements that will see a centre of excellence for cancer, children and maternal health and the focus will be on giving Guyanese the best possible healthcare. That is where the investment is going in a systemic way.”
While there is a need for improving the healthcare system in Guyana, President Ali also spoke of the accomplishments and strides that have been made so far. He also shared an anecdote of how persons are even unaware of some of the treatment options available locally… or are unwilling to give it a try.
“Sometimes we don’t trust our own systems. One very influential private sector guy had a surgery to do in his back and he was flying off to the US to do it. This was recent. And you know what they told him? When he got there the surgeon called two names. One in Barbados, one in Guyana. He asked if he knew them, and he said yes. So, he asked why he didn’t use them. He said I came here for better healthcare.”
“And the doctor said one was senior to me and one was training me. And guess what was the best news out of it? The one that was senior to him, did his tutorials. And the one that went in the class with him, graduated ahead of him. But we don’t trust sometimes the people in our own systems. And that is a mistake.”
While delivering his keynote address at the Guyana Cancer Society’s inaugural fundraising dinner at Project Dawn in Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown, last week, President Ali had spoken of his Government’s plans to develop the centre of excellence.
According to the Head of State, Government is keen on advancing specialty care in Guyana. As such, he noted that since assuming office, his Administration has been analysing different areas of specialty care whether it’s in cardiac services or dialysis and others.
“That is what we are working with, the private sector. And that will be part of this three-year agreement. You will have here in Guyana, the centre of excellence for cancer care, centre of excellence for maternal health and children, and then we will build up our support for all the specialised care that is needed, for example, cardiac care,” he had posited.
The Guyanese leader outlined that while the Government will support the private sector in providing and developing specialty care here, they will also need to have some “balancing” as it relates to cost.
In addition to specialty care, the President had gone on to highlight his Government’s intention to launch a four-pronged aggressive healthcare plan targeting vulnerable persons.
This too, he said, will be supported by a number of State investments as well as collaborations with the private sector, which includes the development of a centre of excellence for cancer treatment.
For women and children, President Ali had also said that a state-of-the-art maternal and children’s hospital will be built with a capacity of 250 beds.
