World-class service needed to match ongoing transformation –Ali says as Sheriff General Hospital opens at Leonora
By Kurt Campbell
The Sheriff Group of Companies on Saturday officially opened its multi-million-dollar general hospital at Leonora, West Coast Demerara, promising the speedy completion of two more similar facilities in Regions Four and Six in the coming months.
Amid much pomp and ceremony, the family-run conglomerate has dedicated the facility to serve the people in the immediate and nearby communities from which they remember their humble beginnings.
But that service, President Dr. Irfaan Ali said, must be to the highest standard in order to match the ongoing $25 billion transformation of the immediate environs which will soon feature a new bank, housing development, mega mall and apartment complex.
Speaking at the event, a stone’s throw away from where he grew up, Dr. Ali said it was a celebration of the new Guyana and the confidence the private sector has reposed in his government.
“We are not playing to be second best, we are playing for once in Guyana to be the best at what we want to do,” Dr. Ali said.
And being the best must also extend to the service provided.
“We need a new service-oriented culture where we take pride and dignity in everything we do.
“Nice things are not only about beautiful buildings and infrastructure… it’s about thinking beautifully, acting beautifully and behaving beautifully… it’s about complimenting physical investment with a positive mindset,” Dr. Ali admonished.
As a child, Dr. Ali said he could not imagine this transformation in his wildest dream.
“…And this is not just the story of Region Three, Leonora, this is the story of every region in this country,” he added.
Chief Executive Officer of Sheriff Security, which falls within the group of companies, Ameir Ahmad, recalled the start of the business and his parents working as cleaners and weeders.
He said the family was able to change its fortunes because of innovation and dynamism and promised that the hospital will not fall short of same.
His father and CEO of Sheriff Group of Companies, Shareef Ahmad said he was happy with the record time in which the project was completed. They first announced the start of construction in 2020.
The older Ahmad promised the delivery of great healthcare service at affordable prices.
With modern amenities, the facility will serve the people of region three, support the public health care facilities and provide jobs for hundreds of people. The hospital has also hired some of the best experts from around the world.
Services to be provided range from a number of surgeries and transplants to dental and eye care, and laboratory tests.
