Latest update September 1st, 2024 12:39 AM
Jan 18, 2011 News
– construction of 150-bed surgical specialty hospital on the cards
A whopping $14B has been allocated to the health sector this year with the aim of improving quality of services, Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh said yesterday, as he presented the largest budget in recent times. The health sector allocation represents a $700 million increase over last year’s.
The improvement of services, Dr Singh said, will be possible through continuing efforts to improve infrastructure, human resources and the delivery of the publicly guaranteed health services package.
An amount of $345M has been budgeted for training activities which will see an additional 250 professional nurses and 140 clinical and technical staff being trained. Further, health workers’ capacity will continue to be developed through continuing education for nurses and midwives even as the Medex and Community Health Workers’ curriculum will be revised and training programmes strengthen, the Finance Minister revealed.
This year, too, Government plans to ensure that testing accessibility continues to reach every citizen in an effort to achieve universal coverage for HIV prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care before 2015.
Additionally, further roll-back malaria initiatives are planned to address preventative measures, early malaria diagnosis and effective treatment, he disclosed.
Dr Singh revealed, too, that over $1B has been budgeted for the construction and maintenance of health sector buildings and infrastructure, nationwide, including $150M to commence preparatory work to design a 150-bed surgical specialty hospital.
This facility, he noted, will conduct specialist surgical procedures including invasive cardiology and radiation oncology. Additionally, an in-patient ward at the Diamond Diagnostic Centre will be constructed as would a new emergency ward at the Fort Wellington Hospital.
This year’s budget is also expected to fund a storage bond while another $235M has been budgeted for the completion of the Georgetown Public Hospital in-patient facility.
The Finance Minister said, too, that additional facilities at the Enmore Polyclinic, West Demerara, Leguan and the Oscar Joseph District Hospitals will be upgraded.
The allocation for this year, according to the Minister comes as part of Government’s continued commitment to creating a health care system which delivers quality health services to all citizens, a promise which is reflected in each passing budget.
To this end, he said, a total of $13.4B was directed last year towards the implementation of the national health sector strategy. Over $1.3B was expended for the construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of health care facilities including for the first phase of the new in-patient facility at the Georgetown Public Hospital and the installation of two elevators and the construction and installation of a hydro-clave system.
This funding was also channelled towards the upgrading of the operating theatres at the Lethem and West Demerara Hospitals and the completion of rehabilitation works at Mabaruma, Skeldon, Wakenaam and the Leguan Hospitals.
Dr Singh told the House yesterday that over $280M was expended on training while more than $150M new health workers entered the public health care system, contributing to improved doctors and nurses’ population ratio last year.
In an attempt to reduce child and maternal mortality rates, he noted that strident efforts, such as the introduction and sustained implementation of the basic nutrition programme which enhances the visitation of mothers to clinic, combined with the expanded immunisation programme assisted in improving the standard of maternal care offered.
Additionally, he revealed, that the national emergency obstetric care assessment was completed in 15 obstetric sites and four neonatal hospitals.
These findings, he said, are currently being used to improve operations at these sites.
Mineral and oil rich country borrowing to feed, clothe and house its citizens.
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