More wards, a new Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and recovery areas are part of the upgrades at the Mabaruma SMART hospital in Region One (Barima- Waini).
The upgrades at this hospital are part of a US$4.2 million SMART hospital project, which will see hospitals across Guyana being converted into climate-resilient facilities that use more solar energy and stored water.
The project is being funded by the UK Government and managed here by the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO).
The upgrades at Mabaruma cost some US$1 million, Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony said during an outreach activity in the region on Monday.
“We are going to use this as a demonstration of what we can do with other facilities in the country,” Dr. Anthony said.
Importantly, the Health Minister explained that such upgrades are being pursued in hinterland regions because the government wants to eliminate the need for residents to travel to the coast.
He acknowledged that doing so is quite burdensome.
“What we are trying to do is make sure we bring more doctors and more nurses… so everything you go to Georgetown for you can get it right in the region,” he said.
Under the SMART hospital project, other upgrades have been completed at the Diamond Hospital in Region Four (Demerara- Mahaica) and Lethem Hospital in Region Nine (Upper Takutu- Upper Essequibo).
The Paramakatoi District Hospital in Region Eight is the final hospital to be upgraded under the project.
