The government subsidized 50% of the cost of medical treatment accessed both locally and overseas last year even as the Ministry of Health continues to expand the services available here and those accessible through its public/private partnership in health (PPP/H) programme.
According to a press release from Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy extra medical care amounted to almost $200 million. Of this amount almost $100 million came from government and other support from the National Insurance Scheme, relatives of ailing persons, local and overseas NGOs and individual Guyanese. The ministry is also working to build a robust PPP/H programme so that citizens can access care not yet available as part of the free public health system.
The minister also noted that since 2005 more medical services that persons would have had to access overseas are becoming available in Guyana. “The fact that almost 50% of the treatment was obtained in Guyana is a manifestation that the health sector of Guyana is providing more services to people, reducing the need to travel overseas for medical attention,” the release said.
While certain diagnostic services are available free of cost in the health sector, services such as angiograms, angioplasty, stents, insertion, valve replacements and bypass surgeries are available and accessible only through the PPP/H programme. Before 2008, these services were not available locally and though some can be accessed now, citizens still need to travel to countries such as Trinidad, Barbados, Cuba, the USA and India for complex cardiac surgery for children.
Treatment for some stages of renal disease such as peritoneal dialysis is offered free in the public health system. However, services for end-stage renal disease such as dialysis and transplant must be accessed through the PPP/H programme. Before 2006 none of these services were offered locally, since then some services have become available in the public health sector and a few transplants have been done. However, transplant operations are done mainly in India and some patients access dialysis in Trinidad and Barbados.
Free surgeries and chemotherapy is available for cancer patients. Though more services are now offered locally since 2006, complex surgeries particularly for the brain, chemotherapy and radiotherapy are only available through the programme.
Treatment for eye diseases such as cataracts is now routinely offered locally. In addition some of the more complex and sophisticated types of treatment for eye surgeries are becoming available locally. Also, certain kinds of diagnostic imaging services such as MRI and CT scan are available in Guyana and in the private sector. Before 2001 these services were only available through the programme. However, ultrasound is now available in the public sector for free though some patients are required to access these services through the private sector through the PPP/H.
A range of orthopaedic services are available free in the public sector. Still, some services such as hip replacement and spine surgery that aren’t available through the public sector services can be accessed via the PPP/H. Other PPP/H services include the provision of prosthetic devices for hearing losses (hearing aids) and for physical disabilities (artificial limbs).
Last year government provided financial assistance for 396 persons to access medical services both locally and overseas. Region Four accounted for most of the requests, 202 persons (51%). Aid was also provided to one person in Region One, nine in Region Two, five in Region Seven, eight in Region Ten, 13 in Region Five, 23 in Region Six and 43 in Region Three. Thirty-eight children also received support: 20 from Region Four, seven from Region Three, six from Region Six, three from Region Five and two from Region 10.
In 2010, the overall cost of treatment for services accessed amounted to $185.2 million. This sum is a subsidized cost as government provided 50% of the total for services provided locally. As regards services for children the cost amounted to $12.2million or 14% of the financial support government provided. The overall cost of treatment for children is $32.5 million therefore government provided almost 38% of the cost. Most of the assistance was provided for treatment overseas. Foreign NGOs also provided support.
Financial support amounting to $45.7 million was provided for 236 persons to access treatment through the PPP/H in Guyana. Persons were also given financial support to access services in Suriname ($0.3 million), Canada ($1.4 million), Barbados ($1.5 million), Cuba ($3.7 million), India ($11 million), the USA ($12.8 million) and Trinidad and Tobago ($14.4 million).
More than $34 million was provided for cardiac interventions and bypass surgery. Sixty-one persons received support for heart diseases and more than 40 of them were treated locally. Financial assistance amounting to $10 million was provided for treatment for cancer. Other significant amounts were for end-stage renal diseases ($9 million), eye diseases ($8 million) and diagnostic imaging services ($5 million).
