The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) on Monday, received a new echocardiography unit from the Rotary Club of Georgetown, to assist with cardiac patient care at the institution.
Earlier this year, GPHC’s echocardiography room was severely damaged by a fire, which saw approximately $25 to $30 million in equipment being destroyed and 11 patients relocated.
As a result, the GPHC was unable to provide adequate healthcare services to cardiovascular patients. The new apparatus will restore the services that were halted.
Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, M.P, who received the machine on behalf of the hospital, said it will be used for patient care and training of healthcare workers.
“With this type of teaching it has impacted on the quality of care that we are offering and when they teach here it’s not just about this hospital, but it also benefits the entire system,” the Health Minister noted.
Further, he said the “pediatric cardiac programme” will be re-established to conduct pediatric surgeries and healthcare at the hospital.
“That’s a programme that was at this hospital for a number of years and for whatever reason it became dormant and we weren’t able to do pediatric cardiac surgery.
One important component of that programme is to make the right diagnosis of the pediatric patients and with this machine we’ll be able to do that,” Minister Anthony added.
He expressed gratitude to members of the Rotary Club for providing the equipment in a timely manner.
The machine is valued at US$32,250 and was donated through the ‘Guyana Advance Cardiac Care’ (GPACC) Programme.