- President Ali affirms contractors will be held accountable
Residents of the Essequibo Coast and along the Pomeroon River will soon have access to world-class, reliable healthcare services with the completion of the $6.6 billion Lima Regional Hospital in the Essequibo Coast of Region Two.
During a recent site visit, President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali provided an update on the physical works, which will be finished by the end of June. Following that, the contractors will move to equip the facility with essential necessities.
These include establishing 75 bed impatient beds to patients; medical needs such as male, female, medical, surgical, paediatrics, and orthopedics. The hospital will have sufficient capacity to accommodate patients requiring various levels of care — eliminating the sore issue of traveling to Georgetown to seek advanced care.
President Ali added, “then of course you will have the testing period. After that testing period, we’ll be commissioning this brand new regional hospital here in Region Two, which will serve not only the people of this region, but all those who will be visiting.”
Slow delivery of test results will be a thing of the past as a laboratory will be constructed within the facility, thereby improving efficiency for thousands of citizens living in that specific region.
President Ali expressed satisfaction with the pace of works and affirmed that the contracting company (China CAMC Engineering Co., Ltd. (CAMCE) and China National Machinery Industry Corporation (SINOMACH)) will be held accountable if the project is not completed then.
“This is] a key part of the healthcare infrastructure expansion programme and world class healthcare delivery service for the citizens of our country,” the president stressed.
The president noted that this is part of a broader health education strategy that is complemented by the Universal Health Voucher programme that was launched to encourage citizens to undergo routine medical screenings. This initiative will gather baseline health data and identify issues early and prevent severe chronic illnesses,
Importantly, the president stressed public health education as a major role in disease prevention. By promoting healthy lifestyle choices and educating citizens, he said the country can proactively address common health problems before they emerge at the individual and community levels.
The Lima Hospital is part of a broader healthcare expansion programme that was a crucial commitment made by the People’s Progressive Party/Civics (PPP/C) Administration in its 2020-2025 manifesto.
Currently, several hospitals are being built in Regions One, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, and Ten, that will provide comprehensive healthcare to thousands of Guyanese.
The Suddie Hospital is also undergoing a $40 million upgrade to improve its wards and washrooms to better accommodate patients.
To further improve the country’s health sector, the government has allocated a massive $143.2 billion dollars to support the completion of several regional and speciality facilities. (Department of Public Information)
