The Mabaruma Hospital in Region One benefited from key safety and green upgrades under a United Kingdom (UK)-funded project and the role of the health staff is now seen as a pivotal area going forward.
Implemented by the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, President Irfaan Ali commissioned the US$750,000 works on Monday.
A PAHO release yesterday noted that the Mabaruma Smart facility is one of five being retrofitted to become safer, greener, and more resilient to natural disasters and climate change. It is the fourth facility to be completed following the Diamond Diagnostic Centre in April 2021, the Lethem Regional Hospital in October 2021 and the Leonora Cottage Hospital on August 9th. The release said that on November 1st, 2020 Chung’s Global Enterprise started the retrofitting which despite being challenged by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the remoteness of the facility was completed last month.
Safety upgrades included the replacement of damaged roof frames, improved roof structure, replacement of roof sheeting, repairs to parapets, replacement of damaged floor finishes, doors and windows, installation of antimicrobial floor surfaces in critical clinical areas, upgrades to the electrical network including generator room, firefighting apparatus and improvement of fire detection devices.
Green upgrades enabled more efficient cooling, and ventilation, repairs to rainwater harvesting systems and storm water drainage, installed LED-lighting solar water heaters and a 40kw Photovoltaic system with battery back-up. These upgrades are all aimed at lowering the operating expenditures and environmental footprint and providing backup power and water.
Functional improvements included an enhanced ambulance bay, new emergency room, expanded records room, introduction of an emergency triage, improved isolation room, reception and screening room. The Pharmacy was also expanded to enable more storage and improve efficiency. Three new consultation rooms were also added to better serve patients within the outpatient zone.
Daniel Albrecht, Health Systems and Services Advisor, PAHO/WHO, Guyana said “This is a very important day for PAHO/WHO and the UK Aid and today we are proud to handover the keys of this Smart facility back to the Ministry of Health and the people of Region 1. While the retrofitting mainly focused on the structural and nonstructural aspects, we now have to focus on the functional aspect and the role of the health staff is very important in this regard”. He said that he was hopeful for the handing over of the fifth facility, the Paramakatoi Health Centre within the coming weeks.
UK High Commissioner to Guyana, Jane Miller told the commissioning: “I am really happy to be here for the handover of this critical upgraded health facility and see its transformation. This is the fourth of five facilities that have completed their retrofitting. Our UK grant aims to improve health services by ensuring health facilities are resilient to vulnerabilities, such as challenges as a result of climate change. The floodings and the COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted the importance of ensuring the health system is resilient to unexpected problems that may come along. The improvements will require careful and timely maintenance in order that they continue to operate and deliver their services most effectively.”
Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony said that the project has helped the Ministry to refashion several health care facilities, 89 of which have already been assessed.
“The team came up with a plan on how we can refashion them to become more climate resilient, more energy efficient and also not prone to flooding”, he said.
The £46.3M Strengthening Health Facilities in the Caribbean (Smart Hospital) project is currently being implemented in 7 countries: Dominica, St. Lucia, Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Guyana and Jamaica. The project is funded by UKaid through its Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in the Caribbean and implemented by PAHO in close collaboration with the Ministries of Health of the selected countries.
