2015 Budget offers “a fresh approach to a healthy life”

BY KRISTEN MACKLINGAM

Junior Health Minister, Dr Karen Cummings, during her budget debate speech on Monday stated that the 2015 National Budget proffers a ‘fresh approach’ for a healthy life for all Guyanese, with the aim of having a ‘green economy’ irrespective of their political affiliation.

However, seconds after this statement, members of the Opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) shouted out “Bharat Dindyal” who was functioning as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) until the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government relieved him of his duties quite recently. His dismissal, which was reportedly executed in an ‘unacceptable’ manner by Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson, has raised many concerns among citizens, as the perception of discrimination by this Government continues to spread nationwide.

Ignoring the Opposition, as she continued her speech, Dr Cummings explained that her Government inherited a ‘plethora of problems’ from the former Administration, with regards to the health system in Guyana.

She quoted a recent report from the World Health Organisation (WHO) which was published in the Trinidad Guardian newspaper which stated that Guyana has the highest suicide rate in the world.

Dr Cummings posited that the APNU/AFC Government intends to frontally approach the scourge of suicide in Guyana, as well as implement and execute targeted programmes, aimed at significantly reducing the suicide rate and eradicating the scourge.

“The 2015 Budget matches the priorities of the nation and in particular the health sector. It paves the way for a safe, cost-effective and comprehensive health care… some priorities include increasing education on how to prevent mental illness and suicide wherever possible and eliminate stigma,” she said.

It was further stated that according to the Commonwealth Health online, the most common mental illness in Guyana is schizophrenia, adding that much work is needed to treat all types of mental illnesses.

“She further said that work will be done on upgrading waiting homes in Lethem and Bartica, which are soon to be made official ‘Towns’ and that the budget caters for Gy$131 million for the Maternity Unit at the Georgetown Public Hospital. Fifty beds are expected to be added to this Unit, as well as the purchasing of state-of-the-art equipment for the maternity and child care sections of the Georgetown Public Hospital.

According to Minister Cummings, primary healthcare will remain the fundamental strategic approach to realising the health agenda and the ‘over-arching’ approach to healthcare provision in Guyana.

Meanwhile, Dr Vishwa Mahadeo, Member of Parliament for the Opposition, commended the Junior Health Minister on the plans for improvement her Government would be undertaking, stating that “nearly everything said fell under the Vision 2020.”

The Vision 2020 for health was a PPP/C Government initiative.

“The budget should have been better given the state of the country in 2014 going to 2015… Let us build Guyana and we will not do this by destroying what’s working and getting rid of the experienced and qualified personnel just because the PPP employed them,” Dr Mahadeo emphasised.

He argued that while this Government is maintaining that much focus will be placed on the health sector in Guyana, it is the said Government which has prevented the construction of health centres at Mara, located in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne); Providence, East Bank Demerara; the half way home for psychiatric patients and the doctors quarters in New Amsterdam, Berbice.

“We have come a far way from days when just a couple of medications were available at Government pharmacies; we used to recycle things such as needles, gloves, syringes. While we have not reached and have a far way to go, we can only achieve improvement by building on what we have, utilising resources and experiences available. We need to put the country and health of the nation above parties and politics,” Dr Mahadeo noted.