Critical healthcare services, including specialised services such as dialysis treatment and a host of diagnostic tests, have now become more accessible for residents on the East Coast of Demerara with the commissioning of the new modern multi-billion-dollar Enmore Regional Hospital – the first of its kind along the ECD corridor.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony on Friday evening, President Dr Irfaan Ali said his Government is opening the door to a new era of health care that is people-centred and accessible to everyone. Key to this vision, he noted, is building out a digitally integrated health ecosystem that is supported by global experts and the harnessing of artificial intelligence (AI).
“Already, we are exploring AI-assisted interpretation of medical images – X-rays, CT scans, ultrasounds… We were sitting with some specialists from Northwell a few nights ago, and they were telling us that now they can [place] a few robots in Guyana, and their specialist from Northwell can perform surgery here with the robots, with their specialist sitting at Northwell and supervised by our local doctors here; that is where medicine is going, and it’s not guesswork. It is precision medicine,” the President stated.
Noting that AI will help guide complex clinical decisions and assist in early diagnosis of life-threatening conditions, the Head of State posited that Guyana is leading the way in this age of smart care.
“Guyana will emerge as a regional leader in smart care health services through a bold and forward-thinking health agenda. The country is rapidly integrating digital technology into public health infrastructure. We’re ushering an era where data driven decisions, telemedicine, electronic health records and AI-assisted diagnostics are no longer futuristic ideas, but everyday realities,” he posited.
In the same breath, however, the Guyanese leader emphasised that this vision requires investment in the country’s human capital and building out a workforce to match the growing infrastructure and technology development.
According to President Ali, Government is already creating the working environment with increased salaries as well as other benefits such as facilities for professional enhancement. These investments, he added, are proving to be effective, attracting qualified Guyanese professionals, such as nurses who had previously migrated in search of betterment but are now returning because of the benefits Government has introduced.
Moreover, the Head of State went on to highlight that these investments are also making Guyana an attractive destination for human capital – something that could address the human resource woes plaguing the health sector.
“For the first time, we have a situation in Guyana where regional graduates are now seeking to come to Guyana to work for our salaries. So, we are more and more becoming an attractive destination, not only for investment but for human capital. The changes in our salary structure, our welfare structure, our benefit structure, our infrastructure, our health care system, our entertainment system, our services – they are all adding up now to create an enabling environment where people want to come to Guyana and want to be part of this transformation that is taking place,” the President stated.
The newly commissioned, fully air-conditioned, state-of-the-art Enmore Regional Hospital, pegged at more than $6 billion, is outfitted with modern diagnostic equipment for a host of critical healthcare services, including ultrasound, digital X-rays, and CT scans with specialised clinics and departments.
It has a 75-bed capacity, several operation theatres, several five-bed wards, a dental suite, ICUs (Intensive Care Units) and HDUs (High Dependency Units), neonatal facilities, and a 24-hour pharmacy and laboratory, among other ancillary features.
According to Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony, this facility will remove the burden on residents of Enmore and surrounding communities along the ECD, who previously would have to travel to Georgetown to receive critical care and specialised services – all of which are now available at the new hospital.
“For generations, the people on the East Coast and residents had to journey to Georgetown to get their surgeries. And if they needed a simple thing like an X-ray [and] …CT scan, you had to go to the Georgetown Hospital to get that… And very often, it depends of the type of laboratory services that you need, you had also go to Georgetown to get those types of laboratory services. All of that you would now be able to get at this new hospital,” the Health Minister stated.
The new Enmore Regional Hospital is one of six hospitals being built across Guyana to enhance healthcare delivery and access for citizens.
China’s Sinopharm International is partnering with the Guyana Government to build the six regional hospitals, funded by a $37.2 billion partnership. These hospitals will be located in Regions Two (Lima), Three (De Kinderen), Four (Diamond and Enmore), Five (Bath), and Six (Skeldon and No. 75).
Only last month, President Ali commissioned the new $6.6 billion Diamond Regional Hospital.
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