Healthcare transformed: Zero referrals and fewer medevacs in Region One

President Dr Irfaan Ali said the government will continue tremendous investments in healthcare across the country, with emphasis on indigenous communities.
Addressing toshaos and leaders at the opening of the National Toshaos Council Conference at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre on Monday, the President highlighted major improvements in communities such as Berbice and Region One, and pledged to continue investing in human transformation so that more doctors and nurses can come from these communities.
“It was under Dr Jagdeo presidency that we built one of the most modern ophthalmology centre in Berbice not only for Guyana but for citizens across this region. We did it without oil. And in five years that facility was shut down. We had to come back and rebuild that facility and today that facility is doing thousands of surgeries, not only for Guyana, but for the Caricom region,” he noted.
With regards to healthcare in Region One, he said that when the government took office in 2020, all neonates with complications were referred outside of Region One and less than 50 per cent of medical supplies were available at health facilities.
“Ninety per cent of all critical pregnancies had to be referred. Today, in 2024, because of the investment we have made in healthcare, we made in Region One, we had zero referrals out of the region. The investment in neonatal services, the investment in our health centres, we had zero. Between 2015 and 2020, more than 50 per cent of the patients had to be medevacked out of the region. In 2024, because of the investment we made in healthcare in region, less than one per cent of medevac was needed. This is the qualitative changes,” President Ali related.
President Dr Ali also pointed to the availability of drugs and medical supplies, which he noted have significantly improved over the last four years, with more than 95 per cent availability, when compared to the period of 2015 to 2019, where it was less than 30 per cent.
“Between the period 2020 and 2025, in Region One alone, we’ve invested in healthcare in our communities. More than 16 ATVs, six ambulances, pickups, minibuses, and more than 25 boats and engines – to move patients, to move health workers alone in Region One,” he emphasised.
The President also told toshaos and other indigenous community leaders that they should be proud of these significant records, as they were achieved under their leadership.