MOH strengthens health response systems through nationwide hospital capacity reviews

Georgetown, Guyana – The Ministry of Health has undertaken a series of Supervisory and Sensitisation site visits aimed at reviewing hospital capacities and enhancing operational readiness in key areas, including Respiratory Virus Surveillance, Vector-Borne Diseases (VBDs), Infection Prevention and Control (IPC), and Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).

The initiative, conducted between August and October, was spearheaded by the Ministry’s Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit in collaboration with the National Public Health Reference Laboratory (NPHRL), the Infectious Disease Department of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), and the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO).

According to the Ministry, the visits were designed to strengthen hospital operations nationwide and ensure that regional health facilities are equipped to detect, prevent, and manage infectious diseases effectively.

Site visits were conducted at the Mabaruma, Suddie, West Demerara, Diamond, Enmore, Bath, New Amsterdam, Bartica, Mahdia, and Lethem Regional Hospitals, as well as the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation and the Linden Hospital Complex.

“These engagements provided opportunities for on-site assessments, staff capacity-building, and the strengthening of coordination mechanisms to ensure improved detection, prevention, and management of infectious diseases at the regional level,” the Ministry stated.

Funded by PAHO/WHO, the initiative forms part of the Ministry’s broader efforts to enhance public health surveillance systems and promote sustainability across Guyana’s healthcare network.

Meanwhile, the Ministry continues to advance other critical health programmes, including the Government’s Eye Testing and Spectacle Voucher Programme, the Universal Voucher Programme, and the HPV Vaccination Programme, which are being rolled out daily across the regions.

In Region One, health officials have also been actively engaging communities through events like the Wauana Village Games, further promoting wellness and extending the reach of public health initiatives to even the most remote communities.