50 new telemedicine sites expected as digital health accelerates

As the Government of Guyana continues to accelerate its push toward a modern, technology-driven health system, Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony said additional telemedicine sites will be opened across the nation.

Dr. Anthony said this is among the groundbreaking digital health initiatives underway.

“We have one of the most extensive telemedicine networks because we have 81 telemedicine sites across Guyana and in the next couple of months we will be adding 50 additional sites and I think the addition of telemedicine and how we’ve been doing it would also allow other countries to learn from us,” Dr. Anthony said.

Guyana will next year host the 70th Annual Health Research Conference of the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and according to Dr. Anthony, the country’s major advancements and positioning the country as a regional leader in digital health will be highlighted.

He said the ministry is expanding the implementation of technology and as such, the digital health records is implemented at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation. 

“We have been working on implementing digital health records in the country,” he said.

The health records, coupled with the telemedicine sites is paving the way for Guyana to become one of the largest telemedicine networks in the region.

The expansion is expected to significantly improve access to healthcare in hinterland and riverine communities.

Additionally, Dr. Anthony said the use of drone technology to deliver essential medicines to remote areas – an initiative that has been gaining international attention – is proving to be a success here. These initiatives complement the transformative impact on areas that are traditionally difficult to reach.

Further, the ministry of health is advancing its digital capabilities further with the integration of AI-powered diagnostic tools for X-rays and CT scans.

“Other areas of digital health that we’ve been working on is to use AI for X-rays and CT scans.

“We have also been working on other areas of public health, this year we introduced influenza vaccines,” the minister said.

But the ministry is not only focused on remote area advancements. Rather, the ministry is targeting young children to ensure lifelong health is a focus from a young age. The ministry commenced its screening for school-aged children to check their hearing, vision, oral health, and other key areas to help them stay healthy, with 70,000 children already screened.