6,000 to be employed with opening of six new hospitals by September

Some 6,000 will be employed with the opening of a total of six new regional hospitals across the country by September.

The Diamond Regional Hospital will be the first to open. This opening is set for tomorrow.

Speaking during his weekly press briefing at Freedom House on Thursday, Vice President and General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo said there have been significant improvements in healthcare infrastructure.

“By the end of August or maybe early by September we will be opening six new hospitals across the country. Diamond this weekend… that’s one of the smaller ones. And we’re building one at Enmore, Bath, Number 75, De Kinderen, Lima. For the different regions – two in Region Four, one in Five, one in Six. We have four hospitals for the hinterland regions and Linden would be upgraded– $30 million to upgrade the existing hospital, and we’re gonna upgrade Bartica, West Demerara, etcetera,” he noted.

This, Dr. Jagdeo stated, is in addition to two major hospitals currently being built in New Amsterdam and another at Ogle.

Speaking specifically about the state-of-the-art completed Diamond Hospital, Dr. Jagdeo said it has all the features of a modern hospital.

“There’s nothing in the private sector that mirrors what’s in there now. When it’s opened on Sunday, please take a walk. Even if you’re not sick. Just go through it to get a feel of our investments,” he said.

Dr. Jagdeo posited that the new hospitals which will come on stream this year will be a major boost to public health infrastructure.

“Right now we have twelve new hospitals–public hospitals that are under construction across this country that will change healthcare,” he said.

“We’re working on hiring personnel. These hospitals, we need six thousand people to work there. We’re training more people,” he added.

Additionally, he said the government is working on a national electronic patient management record system that will transform patient interaction.

“All of the vouchers for testing cervical cancer, universal healthcare voucher, getting spectacles–all of these programmes are done now,” he noted.

He further pointed to upgrades which were carried out at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

In inside view of the hospital (OP photo)