Telemedicine pilot programmes are currently ongoing at four communities in Region Nine, Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony on Tuesday told Parliament during his presentation on the budget.
The Minister stressed that the government wants to move the delivery of health care to the level of a world-class system, and to do such, innovation and the application of technology are required. As such, he said, the ministry has started a remote E- medicine clinic at four communities in Region 9.
“Telemedicine that we have put in there, we have a computer at each one of these sites, and in that computer, we have an electronic health record system and the computers are connected to the internet through satellite and it also has internet capable devices and it is powered by solar energy.”
Explaining the capabilities of the system itself, Anthony pointed out that Gunns Village, one of the community health posts equipped with the pilot programme, is located about 500 miles away from Georgetown. However, when a patient now visits that community health post their information can be put into the system by the community health worker and if in need of assistance a doctor can be dialled from the Lethem or Georgetown Public Hospital in real-time.
He said the doctor can come on screen and the camera can be used to examine the ears, eyes, and mouth. He noted, that even if the doctor requires to hear the heartbeat it can be done so that a diagnosis can be made.
He stressed, that an Electrocardiogram (ECG) and ultrasound can also be done at the location, and doctors (on-screen) can view the image in real time. “This is … the new system that we are building and we don’t have it at one place, we have it right now as a pilot in four communities in Region 9, and the plan in this budget is that we will be expanding that so that more and more people can benefit from that service.”
Anthony stressed that the government will be building six new regional hospitals to improve the delivery of health care countrywide. The new hospitals are slated for Lima, De Kinderen, Diamond, Enmore, Bath, and Number 75 Village, Corentyne, and each is expected to be equipped with about 75 inpatient beds, modern theatres, new accident, and emergency units, and new imaging suits including a CT scan at each location.
In addition to the six hospitals, a seventh will be added at Bartica, Anthony noted. According to him, the design is already being done and it is expected to have similar amenities. Furthermore, in addition to the new hospitals, the ministry will also be introducing new types of services including “tele diagnostics – tele ophthalmology, tele radiology, and tele pathology – this will cause the turnaround time for samples sent to the lab to be much shorter.”
Additionally, he said their collaboration with the Mount Sinai medical institution will see operational efficiency at the Georgetown Public Hospital improving drastically, and in a month new national guidelines will be introduced for diabetes as he stressed that the first Diabetic Centre at Lusignan is in operation presently.
He also pointed out that some 13 new digital X Ray systems will be installed countrywide.
Anthony also disclosed that in the first quarter of 2023, 1,000 nurses will be trained to work in the health sector.
Touching on the district hospitals, Anthony said it was noticed that certain district hospitals did not have surgical theatres and these have since been added. According to him, about eight new theatres were constructed across the country.
Anthony also pointed out that between 2021 – 2022, the government upgraded more than 250 health centres and health posts countrywide. According to him, they have collaborated with the Pan American Health Organization and developed a comprehensive package of services where they will be able to deliver more than 216 interventions at health centres and health posts across Guyana.
Touching on eye screenings, Anthony said that last year they started the distribution of 4,500 spectacles to communities in the Hinterland. Additionally, he said, ophthalmologists were sent regionally where persons are being screened after which a shortlist is made and they are brought out to the National Ophthalmology Hospital located in Port Mourant which saw a revival under the present administration.
In terms of hearing aids, he said up to last year it would have cost $65,000, to purchase, however, they were able to screen more than 500 persons across Guyana who were given free hearing aids, while the 2023 budget provides for another 1,000.
He then added that over the last two years, more than 200 community health workers have been trained, resulting in at least two health workers being stationed at health centres and health posts in regions 9 and 1.
