Health Minister Dr Bheri Ramsaran and officials of the Health Ministry met with stakeholders and contractors on Monday, April 23, to discuss the specialty hospital. Dr Ramsaran said this project is a critical one, as he underscored its benefits along with the changes that have been made in the area of infrastructural development.
Project Manager of the specialty hospital, Naresh Mangar highlighted that the project is being funded by the government of India. Mangar said, “Financing for the project is from the government of India through a line of credit of US$ 20 million. In addition, local funding will also be used for site preparation, land filling, and other infrastructural work.”
Health Minister Dr Bheri Ramsaran (centre); and Permanent Secretary Leslie Cadogan (left) among officials at the meeting
The building of the hospital will see a reduction in the number of Guyanese being sent overseas for treatment. It will also be a teaching and academic facility and research institution. The hospital will strive to be a destination for medical tourism.
Mangar stated that medical tourism is on the increase and Guyana can capitalise on this through the facility. He stated that some 47 million persons are currently uninsured in the United States and they are looking for competitive medical options. He said this is one of the areas in which the facility will be able to capitalise.
The hospital will also aim to gain international accreditation for health facilities.
Minister Ramsaran said: “We have to be able to compete internationally this accreditation can only come after the hospital would have proven its worth; in other words, after a year or two get a certification. But to be able to achieve that certification, our contractors have to give us the right conditions, the building materials, how the building is laid out, so when the team takes over they can deliver services using that facility at a high level, so, for example, people coming from overseas will feel comfortable.”
The 125,000 square foot, two-storey hospital will be located in Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara, and will be built by contractors from India. It aims to provide world-class specialist care while being environmentally friendly. It will also be disability-friendly. Work on the project is expected to commence at the end of the year.
Comments are closed.