Dear Editor,
The Stabroek News editorial of Saturday, January 16, 2022 re-Healthcare Initiative Financing, prompted Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, in his letter, (Stabroek News, Monday, July 19, 2022 re-Hess assigned US$32M of its donation to Mount Sinai for work in Guyana, this partnership is a positive development) to bring some clarity to this initiative. Dr. Ramsammy went on to credit other partnerships such as Northwell, Harvard, McMaster, Columbia University, McMaster University with many other initiatives which have contributed to the improvement of healthcare in Guyana. Why the general public was denied such good news of the partnership between the Government of Guyana and these giants of healthcare in the USA? For good measure, I request Dr. Ramsammy to provide updates on the construction of the ‘speciality’ hospitals at Turkeyen and Essequibo, the construction of 6 regional hospitals, the construction of the hospital at Bath Settlement, WCB, and the construction of the maternal and paediatric centres at Ogle. What will be the fate of the existing area hospitals?
Editor, I am a retired Professional Engineer (PE), Facilities Manager and Environmental, Health and Safety Manager in the field of healthcare. I worked in the NY/NJ area. No one can deny that Mount Sinai comes highly accredited in the field of healthcare. The US News and World Report ranks Mount Sinai among the top hospitals in the USA. In its partnership with Guyana, it will be obligatory for Mount Sinai to introduce the systems, policies, and procedures that brought it such eminence in the field of healthcare. Herein lies the problem. Healthcare facilities in Guyana are not constructed to USA standards. In the USA, over the past 20 years, the patient environment mirrors that of a 5-star hospitality suite. Healthcare facilities must meet standards set in the environment of care and facilities management. Such standards require the adherence to strict sanitary discipline, the provision of fire alarms and smoke detection systems, fire proofing of structural members, sprinkler systems, and reliable utilities such as electricity, water, HVAC, hot water and steam. The clinical, nursing and medical standards just as stringent.
Notwithstanding the gains outlined by Dr. Ramsammy what meets the eye in Guyana is a fractured healthcare system that needs major surgery. Try summoning an ambulance, an ambulette, or an Emergency Medical Transport (EMT) to take a sick, injured, or disabled person to the hospital and you will experience the futility of your efforts. A video on the recent vehicular accident at the Mahaica River Bridge showed one injured person being lifted bodily by hands and feet to be put in a car while the other injured person was shown in a sitting position. Has the Ministry of Heath taken stock of the hundreds of persons who seek medical attention from visiting overseas medical mission? There is obviously the need for this type of medical outreach. What has the Ministry of Health done to fill this gap to meet the public expectations? From news reports our flagship hospital (GPHC) and the area public hospitals often fall very short in the delivery of quality healthcare. GPHC does not possess an MRI which must a standard piece of imaging equipment for this class of hospital. Basic sanitary requirements are not met, facilities maintenance is poor, and reports of non-operational imaging equipment surface periodically.
The present GHPC is a hodge-podge of many buildings with very little inter-connectivity. The area is prone to flooding. It appears that an environmental disaster is only waiting to happen. I make bold that GHPC should be relocated. It will be an expensive proposition. The sale of the land on which GHPC sits will help to afford such a move. In the long term it will be worth the measure if Guyana is to be the centre of medical excellence and a destination for medical tourism. I offer the following suggestions as Guyana goes forward in its quest for healthcare excellence:
1). A medical school, hospital, and medical research centre should be incorporated into the University of Guyana. The government can partner with local/external medical consortia in such a venture. Land will be offered as part of the government inputs. Research on local plants used for medicinal purposes must be conducted.
2). Establish a national healthcare authority, comprising healthcare administrative, medical, clinical, nursing, architectural, engineering, planning, financial, social welfare and other allied personnel. The healthcare authority will be responsible for, among others, charting regulatory healthcare matters, healthcare facilities construction etc.
3). Government must seek medical consortia to establish medical tourism facilities. These facilities already exist in countries such as Jamaica and Costa Rica. The initiatives for such a venture will be assigned to the proposed healthcare authority.
4). Staffing- training and retention will be part of the guidelines of the healthcare authority.
Sincerely,
Abraham David
