The Department of Public Information (DPI) says that a sod-turning ceremony for a state-of-the-art hospital in the Moruca Sub-district in the north west took place yesterday.
The hospital, expected to cost some $4.435 billion is to be funded by the Government of Guyana in collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), with the 57,210-square foot facility expected to be constructed during a 24-month timeframe by PCI Sinopharmintl Consortium.
President Irfaan Ali, who delivered the feature address at the site, said that the hospital will usher in a new era for Moruca and its residents.
“This morning, we gather not just to turn sod but to turn a new page in Moruca. A page that tells a story of transformation, empowerment and partnership… Development is not just something that the government does for you, it is something we do with you. It is us working together with you.”
According to President Ali, the hospital represents the government’s commitment to improving the healthcare system in the hinterland and in the riverain communities. It also represents a vision that is one step closer to realisation that will “profoundly” impact the livelihoods of the residents, both socially and economically.
Upon completion, the Moruca Regional Hospital will feature top-notch services which will ensure easy accessibility for the residents. A Ministry of Health release stated that the state-of-the-art facility will include two fully equipped operating rooms, a modern emergency room, a procedure room for minor surgeries, a CT scanner, three ultrasound machines, and advanced digital and portable X-ray capabilities.
In addition to its cutting-edge infrastructure, the hospital will offer critical services such as specialised outpatient clinics, comprehensive laboratory services, dialysis, a paediatric unit, a maternity wing, and an intensive care unit.
“This hospital will have two fully functional operating theatre, so all your surgical requirements will be done right here in Moruca. We are adding modern ER that will be equivalent to the other hospitals that we are building in this country. You will have digital x-ray and most importantly you will have CT scans done right here in the region,” President Ali told the residents.
Meanwhile, Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony, stated that the hospital will greatly ease the travel burdens on residents. He noted that patients will only have to travel if the illness that they have been diagnosed with is far too complicated for health professionals to handle in the region.
“The quality of healthcare will improve significantly in this region because of the investment that the government is making…You will no longer have to go anywhere because you will have a world-class facility in your region and that is a testimony of this government’s investment into the people of this country,” the health minister stressed.
