– $37million allocated for more repairs
The main theatre at the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH) in Region Three has been rehabilitated and became fully operational more than a month ago and government has allocated about $37 million for additional renovations.

Minister within the Ministry of Health Dr Bheri Ramsaran visited the facility to celebrate World Health Day with staff, patients and the community on Wednesday last. According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) press release Ramsaran said that the hospital’s main theatre has been operational since February 22. Rehabilitative works had been expedited on the theatre, which had been out of service for some time.

“I want to report that the theatre has been up since late last year.

The air conditioners have been totally repaired and are now working for the past several months. After all the testing… the theatre [has] been proven acceptable to allow us to do surgical procedures and surgical operations in it,” the minister said. Since the reopening of the main theatre the hospital has conducted 60 surgeries including 10 hysterectomies and six caesarean section births.

Ramsaran said that a few months prior to the reopening of the theatre, the Georgetown Public Hospital had complained that it had been receiving patients for surgeries from the WDRH.

According to GINA, the $37 million allocated will be used to boost the surgical department, particularly to renovate the pre and post surgical suite for patients. Ramsaran said seven Cuba-trained local doctors have also been placed at the facility and “there is also a small Cuban brigade that has young Guyanese doctors as support staff.” The minister also noted that though there is a shortage of nurses, several hundred nurses are currently being trained and some will be deployed to the hospital after graduation.

Ramsaran also highlighted the dental department’s successes. He said the department treats about 60 patients daily and from the start of the year to date it has treated 2,161 persons.