Diamond Hospital to be fully rehabilitated in two months

Minister of Health. Hon. Dr. Frank Anthony, inspected the Diamond Diagnostic Centre today to oversee its current renovations in efforts to provide a better and more effective service to all its patients.

During his onsite visit, Dr. Anthony highlighted that the Diamond Hospital is expected to be completed within less than two months. Upon its completion, this facility will see a new Accident and Emergency Department, a new Outpatient Area, enhancements in the surgical maternity areas, and a much larger pharmacy to accommodate more people and faster processing of medications.

The Diamond Diagnostic Centre is listed as one of the five health institutions attached to the Government’s SMART Hospitals’ project. This initiative has been actively promoted in the European Union (EU).

“We have received funding from DFID [Department for International Development]. So, DFID, in combination with the Government of Guyana has set aside the monies to be able to rehabilitate this particular facility,” Dr. Anthony stated.

Leonora, Lethem, Mabaruma and Paramakatoi complete the list of facilities that will be rehabilitated through the SMART Hospitals’ project.

Describing the notion of SMART Hospitals, the Health Minister relayed, “the whole concept behind this project is to ensure the buildings have structural integrity to guarantee better work and patient flow. We are utilising renewable energy, so you’ll see the installation of solar panels and most of the lighting and power structures will be running off of solar energy.”

Other ‘SMART’ energy sources will be available as backup measures in efforts to lessen carbon footprints for the hospitals.

Dr. Anthony conveyed that the completion of these hospitals will serve as a model to explore other health facilities that can benefit from the initiative. An assessment of approximately one hundred and ten (110) other institutions was completed under the project.

The Health Minister noted that these facilities will have the ability to cater to COVID-19 patients.

“Because COVID-19 is an infectious disease, we want to ensure that COVID-19 patients do not cross contaminate non-COVID-19 patients, and so, we have placed an isolation unit at the [Diamond Hospital]. So, persons who are suspected of having COVID-19 will be placed in the isolation area while we process them. If we determine clinically that they have COVID-19, we will move them to another area in this compound for them to be properly isolated,” Dr. Anthony explained.

On behalf of the Peoples’ Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government, Dr. Anthony extended sincere gratitude to DFID and implementor of the project, the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO).  (Department of Public Information)