As part of efforts to provide better health services to Guyanese living in all regions, Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony has said that at a minimum, each regional hospital will receive another three beds, ventilators, and monitors to boost their Intensive Care Unit (ICU) capacity.
During his COVID-19 update on Friday, Dr Anthony noted that since last year, the government was attempting to decentralise its COVID-19 response. According to him, regional hospitals have been equipped with the capacity to manage severely infected COVID-19 patients.
Some individuals who are infected with COVID-19 may have more severe symptoms and may require hospitalization and in some cases, ICU treatment. The ICU usually treats those individuals who may have difficulties breathing.
In each regional hospital, he said, there are two ICU beds replete with ventilators and monitors. In the hinterland regions specifically, in addition to the ICU beds and equipment, there are also oxygen concentrators used to help treat patients.
“… at a minimum, each region will get an additional three ventilators, three ICU beds and three monitors so this would complement the existing capacity that they have,” Dr. Anthony said.
This is being made possible through a US $1.8 million Global Fund grant that the country has received. Additionally, he said that some of the funds will also be used to add another 30 beds to the ICU at the National Infectious Diseases Hospital, at Liliendaal, Georgetown.
On Thursday, the Health Minister highlighted that the ministry has added 10 extra ICU beds to the National Infectious Disease Hospital. The facility had 25 beds which would cater for 25 severely ill patients.
He said that from time to time, however, there could be surges in the number of people infected with COVID-19 resulting in a greater number of people who may become hospitalised.
As such, the extra beds replete with ventilators and monitors would help to provide extra capacity for treatment in case there are surges in the number of infected people who require ICU care.
The Health Minister also provided an update on the local vaccination rollout. He said that a total of 237,882 people, or 48.9 per cent of the targeted adult population, received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccines. Meanwhile, a total of 118,126 people, or 24.3 per cent of the population, received both their first and second doses.
An individual is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving both their first and second dose of the COVID-19 vaccines.
