President Irfaan Ali on Thursday said hospitals across the country will benefit from tremendous transformation during his tenure. The Head of State was at the time addressing healthcare professionals at the launch of the retrofitting of the Leonora Cottage Hospital, West Coast Demerara (WCD).
The Leonora Cottage Hospital is being retrofitted under the Smart Health Care Facilities project.
President Ali said that the initiative will have a profound effect on the lives of people. “Government is moving in a direction where you will have to be accountable. Where professionals must be accountable. As far as the financial architecture of our country, allow us, we will support the healthcare system, and we will support the professionals,” the President said.
Further, he said his Government will invest heavily to improve health care facilities across the country. “All the hospitals will see upgrade or improvement within the next few years, all facilities will see tremendous transformation,” he said.
The President also called on those present to adhere to the COVID-19 protocols to prevent the further spread of the disease.
Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony said that it is his Government’s mandate to ensure that citizens receive better healthcare.
“To do that, we need to do several things. We need to improve the infrastructure for health centres or hospitals and every facility in which we are delivering health care,” he said.
Meanwhile, British High Commissioner (ag) Ray Davidson assured that his Government is committed to lending assistance in this regard.
With an injection of approximately US$4.175M, the Diamond Diagnostic Centre, the Mabaruma Regional Hospital, the Leonora Cottage Hospital and the Lethem Regional Hospital will be retrofitted as part of the SMART Health Care Facilities in the Caribbean Project. Depending on the availability of funding, the Paramakatoi Health Centre will also be retrofitted.
SMART Health Care Facilities Project, which is being implemented in seven countries across the region, was launched by the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) in collaboration with the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID) and the Public Health Ministry in 2018.
The countries expecting to benefit are: Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
PAHO/WHO Representative, Dr. Luis Codina also attended the launch.
(Modified from the Office of the President).
