Minister of Finance Dr Ashni Singh says that a total of $12.1 billion in Current and Capital expenditure has been allocated to the health sector in this year’s National Budget.
During the reading of the budget speech yesterday, Dr Singh said that a new inpatient facility at the Georgetown Hospital will bring the goal of total reconstruction of the physical infrastructure closer to reality. “This year $1.2 billion is allocated for the completion of the new modern Linden Hospital and the commencement of the GPHC inpatient facility,” the Minister said.
He said that similarly, health services will be offered in new modern hospitals in Lethem and Mabaruma as well as at the Suddie, Leonora and Mahaicony Hospitals which have been reconstructed to accommodate diagnostic centres. “Amounts totalling $140M will be spent to operationalise the centres at Suddie, Leonora and Mahaicony, the ophthalmology centre in Port Mourant, and to rehabilitate the Fort Canje psychiatric hospital,” the Minister said.
He said that new services such as hip replacement, heart surgery, cancer treatment and expanded eye care services such as glaucoma are already offered at the GPHC and will be expanded in 2008. “An allocation of $2.8 billion has been provided for operation and maintenance of the hospital, which includes $91M to upgrade the electrical and water supply system,” he said.
“In 2008, we will advance mental health by integrating the diagnosis and treatment for depression in the primary health care setting and related outpatient clinics will be offered at all regional hospitals and at some large health centres in order to bring the services closer to the people,” Dr Singh said.
He outlined too that a comprehensive substance use dependency programme has already been developed and assistance to deal with addiction to alcohol and tobacco are being strengthened in collaboration with NGOs such as the Salvation Army and others.
He said too that a total of $340M will be spent on the Basic Nutrition Programme, to continue manufacturing and distributing sprinkles to children and pregnant women through 79 centres catering for 44,000 beneficiaries countrywide. “The evidence shows sprinkle distribution to families at 49 health centres has contributed to healthier babies and a significant reduction in anaemia. The programme will be expanded with the addition of 30 more health centres and the eventual distribution of sprinkles at all health centres,” the Minister said.
He added that addressing the human resource gap in the health sector remains a priority. “This year, over 70 graduates from the Guyana/Cuba collaboration will arrive in the country to complete their final year of studies in Guyana. In addition, the Cuban doctors and technicians operating the East Bank Regional Hospital have added to the overall medical capacity of the country, including the provision of services such as endoscopy and surgery,” he said.
The Minister said that other Cuban doctors and technicians will operate clinical services at Leonora, Suddie, Mahaicony as well as the National Ophthalmology Centre at Port Mourant later this year.
