Overhaul of main public health law set for 2023

Guyana’s main public health law, the 1934 Public Health Act, will undergo a complete overhaul in 2023 as part of wider efforts to upgrade the entire health infrastructure in Guyana.

This is according to Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony who told the News Room that the new law will be a “comprehensive” one.

“In Guyana, we have a Public Health Ordinance and it is dated and does not cater for what we have now.

“We have started during this year to draft a new Public Health legislation,” Dr. Anthony said.

According to him, this new law is expected to cover all areas of health and will cater for the provision of modern services. This is crucial given the government’s intentions to upgrade the local healthcare system to a world class one.

The new law will not only cater for diseases and treatment but also the rights of patients.

And a first draft of the updated legislation is expected by mid-2023. Once that draft undergoes the necessary review and consultations, the Health Minister was optimistic that it could be tabled in the National Assembly before the end of 2023.

The overhaul of this main public health law is just one of the 20 pieces of legislation that the Health Ministry has identified for updating or introduction so that Guyana’s healthcare needs can be catered for.

Dr. Anthony also said that new legislation for electronic record-keeping and patient management systems will be introduced. This is an initiative being pursued in collaboration with the Mount Sinai Health System.