With hundreds of nurses migrating annually, leaving the health sector crippled, the Government intends to spend over $1.4 billion to construct new facilities for the training of new healthcare professionals.

According to the Finance Minister, new training facilities will be built in the Berbice area.

“We are investing heavily in the training of health science professionals including nurses, with an investment of $1.4 billion budgeted for the construction of two health science training facilities at New Amsterdam and Suddie. In 2023, there was an intake of over 2,000 students to the medical services programmes, and in 2024 a cohort of over 3,500 students is projected, of which approximately 2,000 relate to persons enrolled in the nursing programmes. We also have increased the number of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals from the Cuban Medical Brigade from 192 in 2023 to a projected 500 in 2024,” Minister Singh told the House.

The Government intends to spend more than $129 Billion to advance the transformation of the country’s Health Sector, the Minister said.

Among the planned transformative projects for the health sector is a Pediatric and Maternal Hospital at Ogle on the East Coast of Demerara.

Construction work on the new hospital started in 2023. To advance that project, Government has set aside $10.3B.

Additionally, $6.2B has been budgeted for the construction of a world class hospital at New Amsterdam, while $15.5B has been set aside to advance the construction of the six regional hospitals at Bath, De Kendren, Diamond, Enmore, Lima and No. 75 Village, all of which started in 2023, the Finance Minister announced.

“Additionally, Bartica, Suddie and West Demerara hospitals will be upgraded at an estimated cost of $10 billion in 2024. Hospitals will also be constructed at Kamarang, Kato, Moruca, as well as the upgrade of Lethem Regional Hospital, at a cost of $1.5 billion in 2024,” Minister Singh told the Assembly.

A number of Health Centres, Health posts, and other health facilities are in line to be retrofitted this year using some $5B, while medical and non-medical equipment will be procured at the cost of $2.9B.

The Government, Minister Singh added, will be working to build the capacity of its human resources within the Health Sector.

 In the area of Chronic Diseases, the Finance Minister said Government is placing significant emphasis on prevention rather than treatment. As such, it intends to ramp up screening for non-communicable diseases to over 70,000 persons. The cervical cancer screening programme will be also be expanded to include HPV testing for all women between the ages of 35 and 45. This year the Government intends to spend $3.8 billion to detect and fight against cervical cancer.

Attention is also being placed on Communicable Diseases, Mental Health, and Maternal and Child Health.

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