US charity builds $5M VIA clinic in Region Two

GMR Inc chief officer Sharir Chan (left) and Region Two Chairman Parmanand Persaud shake hands, while another representative looks on, after unveiling a plaque to mark the presentation of a newly-built VIA clinic at Charity.

US-based charity Guyana Medical Relief Inc built and presented a structure valued $5M to the Oscar Joseph District Hospital at Charity, Region Two for conducting VIA clinics.

According to a press release from the group, the charitable organisation is based in Los Angeles, California and comprises Guyanese living in the US. Last Friday it handed over the building to the Region Two administration free of cost.

GMR Inc started construction on the 20×25 feet concrete building in late July. The group undertook the project in response to a request from Dr Afrah Khan, who conducts the Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) testing for cervical cancer. The hospital has been offering VIA testing for some time but both staff and patients have had to contend with