New medical bonds to improve access to medicine, reduce shortages 

The Government is moving to improve access to medicine and reduce shortages across Guyana through the construction of several regional medical bonds designed to strengthen storage and distribution within the public healthcare system.

The initiative is expected to play a major role in ensuring that medicines and medical supplies are consistently available across the country, particularly in hinterland and remote communities where shortages have historically posed challenges for patients and healthcare workers.

Speaking on the Starting Point podcast on Sunday, Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony said the new facilities are being outfitted with modern storage systems for medicines, reagents and vaccines, including cold storage capacity where required.

According to the Health Minister, the aim is to ensure regions can maintain adequate supplies for extended periods, reducing the likelihood of disruptions in treatment and care.

“We will be able to send medicine into the regions to have stocks for maybe a year or more, and so they should not have a problem with medicines because they would be able to get the medicines right in their region,” Minister Anthony explained.

Medical bonds are currently under construction in Mabaruma in Region One, Suddie in Region Two, Region Six, Mahdia in Region Eight and Lethem in Region Nine.

“These are huge bonds, and we feel that this is going to make a difference once they are completed,” the minister said.

He noted that several of the facilities are expected to begin opening within the next three to four months.

Beyond improving storage capacity, the Government is also working to modernise the way medicines are distributed throughout the healthcare system.

Dr. Anthony said that only a few years ago, medicine distribution coverage across the country stood at approximately 39 per cent. Today, that figure has increased significantly, reaching between 90 and 95 per cent nationwide.

The ministry is also developing a digital tracking system that will monitor medication from the point it leaves the Materials Management Unit (MMU) at Diamond to regional hospitals and health centres, and ultimately to the patient receiving it.

The Health Minister explained that under the previous system, unused medication at health centres often expired before it could be utilised, resulting in unnecessary wastage.

With the new tracking mechanism, the ministry will be able to identify medicines nearing expiration and redistribute them to communities where demand is higher, helping to reduce losses while ensuring patients receive timely access to treatment.

The expanded storage facilities and upgraded monitoring systems form part of the Government’s broader effort to improve healthcare delivery and strengthen public health services across all regions of Guyana. [Extracted and modified from DPI]