With $73.2 billion to be allocated for the health sector for 2022, the government has planned a major expansion programme that includes the construction of six modern regional hospitals.
During his budget speech last Wednesday, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh said a total of $16.1 billion has been budgeted to launch a major expansion in public health care facilities, with $12.4 billion of that amount intended for the design and construction of a state-of-the-art paediatric and maternal hospital, upgrading of the West Demerara and Bartica regional hospitals, and the construction of six modern regional hospitals at Anna Regina, Tuschen, Diamond, Enmore, Bath and No. 75 Village, Corentyne.
“These regional hospitals are expected to catapult healthcare delivery beyond current levels provided by existing regional facilities as well as to reduce the undue cost and burden of referrals to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC),” Singh said.
He added that a sum of $1 billion has been allocated for the upgrading of health centres across all regions to address critical interventions needed to improve the patient experience, while $220 million is also budgeted to retrofit and equip the Festival City Polyclinic to provide more services, including x-ray, dental, laboratory and rehabilitation services.
Outside of infrastructure, the largest allocation under the proposed health sector budget is a sum of $17.9 billion that intended for the procurement of supplies for the health sector in 2022 as government aims to eliminate incidences of drug shortages by next year. Government has also mandated urgent reforms in the supply chain management system across the sector, including data driven quantification and strengthened procurement systems, to address the issue.
Additionally, over $6.8 billion is to be allocated for the national COVID-19 response, which will include operationalising a maternal delivery room, oxygen plant and physiotherapy department, among others, at the Infection Diseases Hospital at Liliendaal.
Meanwhile, Singh said $2 billion has been budgeted for medical and non-medical equipment, with $359.3 million of that total earmarked for the GPHC to allow for the increased use of laparoscopic surgical techniques – towards improving surgical outcomes and reduce recovery time – and for the introduction of vascular surgery, for the first time. “This will augment the $299 million which was expended last year, for GPHC, to support the reintroduction of paediatric cardiac services, slated for this year, and the upgrading of testing equipment, among other service improvements,” he further said.
He also reported that significant progress has been made towards the construction of a diabetic clinic at Lusignan, which is intended to be a one-stop shop for diabetic patients when completed later this year.
Singh also announced plans to address mental health and noted that they include consultations on revisions to the Mental Health Act of 1930 in order to inform revised legislation that will be tabled in the National Assembly for consideration this year.
He also mentioned the completion of designs for the extension of the mental health ward at the GPHC and noted that $39 million is budgeted for the project, while $50 million is budgeted for training including in specialty areas, such as addiction and rehabilitation.
In the area of maternal health, Singh acknowledged that maternal mortality remains high at an estimated 140 per 100,000 live births due to COVID-19 complications, pregnancy-induced hypertension and post-partum haemorrhaging, among other things. In 2022, he said, the government would be pursuing strengthened engagement and partnerships with traditional birth attendants, strengthening health facilities with related equipment, and expanding family planning services. “We also anticipate that the maternal waiting homes at Moruca and Kato as well as the maternity ward at the New Amsterdam Hospital will be substantially completed this year, all of which are expected to improve maternal and child health,” he noted.
Singh also announced that in order to reduce adolescent pregnancies, government will pursue a “safe-space” initiative in schools to facilitate peer interaction and counselling as well as partner with local medical teams and community organisations to address comprehensive education in schools. The initiative is to be complemented by the expansion of the contraceptive programme, which will is to receive an allocation of $154 million in 2022.
According to Singh, COVID-19 continues to stretch the capacity of the health sector, resulting in reduced human resource availability in other areas, such as HIV and malaria. However, he said the government will this year continue the transition to new anti-retroviral medications which are more effective in suppressing the viral loads in persons living with HIV. He said, too, that over 16,000 long lasting insecticidal bed nets are slated for distribution in the first half of 2022, while $142.4 million is budgeted for the procurement of over 112,000 nets this year in preparation for the next distribution cycle in 2023, which will serve to protect over 158,000 persons. With regard to tuberculosis (TB) management, he said although it has also been affected by the pandemic, government successfully opened a chest clinic at the Port Mourant Hospital last year to provide for testing, treatment and follow-up services. This year, he added, the government will endeavour to ramp up testing, including through a partnership with the Guyana Prison Service, and intensify the directly observed treatment shortcourse (DOTS) programme for TB control.
