The bigger picture for health care

TIMES INT'L

Dear Editor,

‘If’ and ‘but’ are two very sad words in human existence. This came to my mind when I read about the plight confronting the Gravesande family in the Guyana Times newspaper. The family and relatives need money and plenty too, to pay the bills for the brain surgery patient, Jada Gravesande. The cost is staggering: US$25,607 (TT$ 153,640). In Guyanese dollars, this is around the six million mark; in other words, a near impossibility. So the hope is that a lot of help will come forth in time. However, there is a need to think beyond this. In this regard, it is the “specialised” hospital that comes to mind.

The proposed US$25 million specialist hospital in Guyana will be designed primarily for the purpose of providing specialised services to locals. This hospital has a spin off in the area of tourism, but with its emphasis on “specialised operations”, optimism can almost be tangible now.

The Health Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy, recently opined that the facility is expected to be operational within the next two years. He also explained that: “Everything in this hospital will be specialised – the equipment, the doctors, everything (that) will be done at this hospital.” This is indeed quite heartening.

It means that it would allow for Guyana to have its very own surgeries, all performed at the new hospital and this will reduce the number of patients who are sent abroad to have operations done.

So the dream is soon to be fulfilled, that one day, Guyana will be giving its citizens specialised medical treatment, at a reduced cost, thereby benefiting the populace.

There will be a sparing of the burden of visa procurement, travelling duress and of course, massive monetary obligations.

I end this letter with a special appeal to help little Jada. Let us be gracious and generous in this time of need.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

Asafa Prince

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