- Director

The National Public Health Institute (NPHI) which serves as the nucleus of national laboratory services and does advanced laboratory testing and comprehensive clinical care under one roof marked its first anniversary last Friday.
The Government Information Agency (GINA) stated in a press release that the institute has improved health care in the area of clinical laboratory testing and specialized reference testing through a joint effort between the Guyana government and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with funding from the US government under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

The 1,500 square metre structure, built at a cost of US$4.4 million, is located in the compound of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation at Thomas and New Market streets. It houses the National Public Health Reference Laboratory and the Comprehensive Care and Treatment Centre, formerly known as the Genito Urinary Medicine (GUM) clinic.

National Care and Treatment Centre Director Dr Jadunauth Raghunauth said that the previous building was clustered but staff are now housed in a more comfortable environment. He noted that the institute continues to offer the same services but in a more efficient manner, based on evaluation and feedback, the release stated.

Dr Colin Roach, the institute’s director, said the laboratory serves as the nucleus of national laboratory services and it has the capacity to conduct quality assurance and proficiency testing in the peripheral labs and serves as a reference for hematology chemistry, parasitological, microbiology and molecular biology. The facility is advanced in its technology with equipment and the capacity to store specimens in the long term.

He said further that it is the dream that one day the NPHI will be accredited and certified to international standard.
The HPHI has a staff complement of 29 and seven departments for various activities. He said the HPHI strives to disseminate accurate findings and to produce them in a timely and efficient manner.

Country Director of the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr La Mar Hasbrouck, in his remarks said  “progress has been steady because every time we (collectively) ran into an obstacle, challenge, or bottl neck, a champion would emerge (NAPS, HSDU, PS, CDC, and others)… and with the clearing of every successive hurdle, we have built a solid foundation on which to grow.”

According to the release, Charge’ d Affaires of the US Embassy Karen Williams said the NPHI is more than just a lab, it is a powerful test of the relationship between the US and Guyana and it was funded to create a model health care facility in the Caribbean. She pointed out that the benefits come from the tools and the fact that samples no longer have to be sent overseas for testing.