Region Nine’s health infrastructure is seeing tremendous transformation, as the government is now in the procurement stage for contractors to conduct upgrades of the Sand Creek, Karasabai and Annai Health Centres into district hospitals.
This will ensure residents residing in these districts are receiving additional health services including surgery, eliminating the need for long travel to the Lethem Regional Hospital or the Georgetown Public Hospital Cooperation (GPHC).
Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony made the disclosure during his recent visit to Region Nine, where he noted that investments are also being poured into the human resource pool of the region.
“All these projects have already been designed, I think they’re at the stage now where they’re getting the contractors in and very soon, they’ll start the construction,” Dr Anthony stated.
Investments totalling $76 million will be poured into upgrading the Karasabai Health Centre, while an additional $76 million will be expended on the Annai Health Centre.
The health minister noted, “In addition to resources that we’ve put into the region, at Sand Creek, we’re going to invest about $85 million to upgrade that facility so that it would have a theatre, a recovery room and all the amenities that we can do surgery there.”
The Lethem Regional Hospital will also receive upgrades with funding from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) totalling US $97 million, through which state-of-the-art hospitals will also be constructed in Moruca (Region One), Kamarang (Region Seven) and Kato (Region Eight).
The health facility will be equipped with telemedicine capabilities, since the ministry wants to ensure that efficient health care is also delivered to far-flung communities in these hinterland regions.
Some $200 million is being spent this year in Region Nine to upgrade health facilities as well as construct housing to accommodate medical personnel who will be providing services to residents.
This is integral as the PPP/C Administration seeks to bridge the health gap in the hinterland regions.