THE much anticipated construction of the US$161M state-of-the-art New Amsterdam Hospital in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) is expected to commence in January 2024, marking a significant advancement in the region’s healthcare infrastructure.
Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony announced on Saturday that the project, initially in the conceptual stage, is now progressing toward implementation.
Construction work on the hospital is set to commence in January 2024, starting with the laying of the foundation, Minister Anthony announced.
The contract for the New Amsterdam Hospital was signed in July between the Ministry of Health and VAMED Engineering, an Austria-based company.
The New Amsterdam facility will have approximately 220 beds with five operating theatres, along with a cardiac suite and a section for training to be conducted on site for healthcare professionals.
Additionally, the new facility will have approximately 120 beds for psychiatric patients as the current facilities that exist in New Amsterdam will then be closed.
The existing hospital is the most advanced in Region Six and it is the biggest hospital in Guyana after the Georgetown Public Hospital, which is the country’s main referral hospital.
The hospital is expected to be a state-of-the-art healthcare facility, offering a wide range of medical services to the residents of New Amsterdam and its environs.
This development is a significant milestone in the healthcare sector, and it is expected to provide a much-needed boost to the healthcare infrastructure in the region, the Health Minister said.
In an interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI) back in June, Regional Chairman of Region Six David Armogan had mentioned that a newly constructed hospital in New Amsterdam will be furnished with cutting-edge technology, enabling the provision of critical medical procedures, including open heart, kidney transplant, and pancreatic surgeries, which are currently unavailable at the New Amsterdam Regional Hospital.
Committed to its promise to build a world-class healthcare system in Guyana, the government is moving ahead with the construction of seven new hospitals that will deliver quality health service to Guyanese in all regions.
The Irfaan Ali-led administration has presented a host of proposals for the health system and said this project is part of a larger $37.2 billion initiative that will modernize the regional healthcare system in Guyana.
The new facilities will be built at Anna Regina, Region Two; De Kinderen, Region Three; Diamond and Enmore, Region Four; Bath, Region Five, and Skeldon, Region Six. Each of the new regional hospitals will be 65,000 square feet.
Over the next few years, according to President Ali, the government wants to train and attract a significant number of healthcare professionals to provide not just health care, but the best, world-class medical services to the people of Guyana.
In Regions Two and Three, contractors have already begun site preparation for construction of the hospitals there, Dr. Anthony stated.
The hospital for Region Three will be constructed in De Kinderen and will provide adequate healthcare for residents within the Parika – Tuschen catchment area; which has seen increased population growth.
In Region Four, a new hospital is being constructed at Little Diamond, East Bank Demerara, and another at Enmore, East Coast Demerara.
Moreover, the government, since 2020, has moved to continuously upgrade primary care access at more than 240 facilities across the country, including health centers, local area hospitals, and health posts.
According to the Government, the health sector will continue to see massive infrastructural and human resource development in all regions as Guyana continues its upward trajectory.
