Guyana is currently offering specialised medical training to physicians from across the Caribbean, making an exciting time for the country’s healthcare sector, which is poised to develop a world-class healthcare system.
Speaking at the opening of the European Union (EU) Global Gateway Health and Pharma Investment Mission to Guyana on Monday, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony lots of people in the Caribbean are coming to Guyana to seek treatment.
“So the reality of trying to become a hub for medicine in the Caribbean- I think we’re getting there, because we are also seeing a lot of Caribbean patients coming to us. So, with what we’re doing right now we’re seeing patients coming to us and we expect that over time this is gonna increase. We are also training Caribbean physicians. I know that might be a surprise to many of you, but we are actually training a lot of Caribbean physicians. We have post-grad programmes, where people from the smaller islands in the Caribbean are coming across here to get specialised training. So, whether it’s in orthopedics, internal medicine, cardiology, surgery, and so forth- we offer all these types of specialised training,” the minister related.
Dr Anthony added that while Guyana is offering this type of training, the ministry is also working with other partners to send its doctors to receive specialised fellowship training, so that local doctors can return and improve the local healthcare system.
The Health Ministry is also looking at developing specialised institutions, such as an oncology centre where comprehensive oncological services will be provided.
This, he noted, will not only target Guyanese patients, but those in the Caribbean.
“We have also been looking at tele-medicine, and right now we have about 81 sites where we’re doing tele-medicine in some of the most remote parts of Guyana. We believe we can improve it because right now we’re able to do an ECG, let’s say with somebody who’s maybe 500, 600 miles away. We can do ultrasounds with them, and the doctor at the centre would be able to advise that patient and the health staff that is located in that remote location. But we know that there are other technologies that are available that make you feel like you’re immersed into that environment and you probably can offer that advice,” Dr Anthony indicated.
The ministry is also placing a lot of resources into improving medical laboratories.
The EU and the Government of Guyana have initiated a strategic partnership aimed at enhancing the nation’s health sector and enhancing its pharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities.
The EU Global Gateway Health and Pharma Investment Mission to Guyana officially opened on Monday at the Marriott Hotel in Georgetown and will run until Thursday.
This collaboration is a vital component of the EU’s Global Gateway initiative, which aims to enhance health security and foster economic resilience throughout the Caribbean region.
