Long travel for medical care over with commissioning of De Kinderen Regional Hospital

Residents of the West Coast of Demerara will no longer have to travel to Georgetown for many specialist and emergency services, following the commissioning of the state-of-the-art De Kinderen Regional Hospital in Region Three. The facility was officially opened today at a ceremony attended by President Dr. Irfaan Ali and Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony.
“This hospital would feature a 24-hour Accident & Emergency department, a 24-hour imaging centre. This is the first hospital in Region Three in the public system with a CT site,” Dr. Anthony said at the commissioning ceremony.
The hospital includes a 75-bed inpatient block, three fully equipped operating theatres, a 24-hour pharmacy, a 24-hour laboratory, an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) with three beds, a High-Dependency Unit (HDU), and a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). It also features on-site oxygen generation, water purification, and sterilisation systems to ensure seamless operations.
Patients can access specialist clinics in obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, internal medicine, surgery, ophthalmology, audiology, and dentistry. According to the Health Minister, this will “significantly reduce the need for patients to travel to Georgetown for critical care, providing timely and efficient medical services closer to home.”
He added that the hospital represents “the modernisation of the health sector in Region Three” and reinforces the government’s view that “quality healthcare is your right, not a privilege”.
Minister Anthony also praised the healthcare workforce.
“The hospital is only as good as the people who serve within its walls, you will be the heart and soul of this facility,” he said, acknowledging the dedication of doctors, nurses, and support staff.
The opening of the De Kinderen Regional Hospital marks a crucial milestone in the government’s strategy to decentralise health services and improve access for coastal and hinterland communities. With its comprehensive infrastructure, the hospital is poised to enhance emergency response times, reduce reliance on Georgetown, and deliver more equitable healthcare to residents along the West Coast of Demerara.