Dear Editor,
In the field of healthcare, the term ‘SPECIALTY HOSPITAL’ is defined as a hospital or the specialty unit of a general hospital licensed to provide limited range of services in specific areas such as cardiology and heart surgery, gastroenterology, gynecology, obstetrics, neurology, orthopedics, ophthalmology, oncology, pediatrics, psychiatry, urology, etc. Such licensure is usually granted after many years of outstanding medical and clinical research, practice, and teaching.
Within the past five years references were made to the construction of specialty hospitals, locally, at Liliendaal, Anna Regina, Palmyra, and recently (Guyana Chronicle, May 11, 2023), South Ruim-veldt. I, like most Guyanese, am very much appreciative of the efforts to improve the standards of our healthcare. However, we must be mindful of the fact that our use of the term ‘SPECIALTY HOSPITAL’ does not conform to the standards of international healthcare.
Examples of specialty hospitals are Memorial Sloan Kettering, New York (oncology), Hospital for Joint Diseases, New York (orthopedics), The Mayo Cli-nic, Minnesota (cancer, cardiology, diabetes, neurology), Johns Hopkins Medical Institution, Maryland (pulmonology, cardiology, gastroenterology), and New York – Presbyterian (cardiology and heart surgery).
Worldwide, numerous hospitals perform the services (cancer screening and treatment, retinal and eye surgeries, neurology, dialysis, urology, dental services, laboratory testing, plastic surgery, and psychotherapy) listed by the proposed new hospital construction. However, these hospitals are referred to as GENERAL HOSPITALS owing to the fact they do not meet the requirements and standards of a SPECIALTY HOSPITAL.
Sincerely,
Abraham David
