New facility, $10M in equipment for Region Six

In an effort to improve the healthcare services in Region Six (East Berbice- Corentyne), diagnostic equipment worth $10 million and a $40 million outpatient facility are now accessible at hospitals in the region.

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony, handed over the equipment to the Regional Health Officer, Dr Vishayla Sharma on Saturday last. The minister also commissioned the new facility at the Port Mourant hospital on the same day and the upstairs of this facility will also be utilised as a regional health centre.

The equipment includes two portable ultrasound machines and seven intensive care unit beds. The machines will be allocated to the Mibikuri Cottage and New Amsterdam Regional Hospitals to improve the medical imaging services at the facilities.

Meanwhile, the new outpatient facility will greatly benefit some 82, 637 patients who have been recorded to use the service this year.

“One of the issues we would have had coming out repeatedly is that the patients are separate from the waiting area and separate from where the doctor is so this put us all in the same area and reduces the anxiety of patients,” Dr Sharma said.

In addition, some 14,036 ultrasounds were recorded in the region last; this is an increase from 10,347 recorded in 2021. But the equipment that was handed over signify a major improvement of diagnostic services for the region. Now patients will be able to access X-rays, ultrasounds and other laboratory services.

Dr Anthony said that the government is trying to improve the level of medical imaging practiced here.

“There are lots of innovations, there are lots of things that are happening in health and what we need is persons who are in the sector to make use of these opportunities,” the Health Minister said.

While speaking at the commissioning ceremony, the minister urged persons who have background in the sciences to consider becoming ultrasound technicians.