A wonderful gift from Uncle Sam

Jul 05, 2008 Editorial

The construction of the National Public Health Reference Centre is to be applauded. This facility, which is located within the compound of the Georgetown Public Hospital, was declared open on Thursday.

The fact that the centre was completed in time represents a good start. Too many projects in Guyana are often completed behind schedule. We congratulate all those who were instrumental in ensuring the timely completion of this laboratory.

We congratulate the Government of the United States of America who, through the PEPFAR Initiative, along with the support of the Centre of Disease Control and the World Bank, was able to make the dream of such a state-of-the art facility a reality. This is a fine example of the benefits of partnership in the health sector.

There are many areas in which the United States Government is assisting Guyana. The public is often ignorant of this assistance, and thus cannot appreciate the degree of support that is being given.

It is only when centres such as the one that was opened on Thursday takes place that it becomes clearer just how tangible is the assistance being rendered by the US Government to our country.

With this significant gift from the United States Government, the local health sector has made yet another leap forward. Guyana will now be able to conduct many tests locally, tests that formerly would have had to be sent overseas.

This capability would become especially valuable if there is an outbreak of an epidemic, in which case tests can be conducted right here in Guyana and thus improve the responses to such outbreaks, unlike what would have happened in the past, when we would have had to wait on the results of tests from overseas to confirm a particular diagnosis.

One recalls especially that, during the floods of 2005, a number of persons fell ill with suspected cases of leptospirosis.

Here was Guyana facing its worst natural disaster, people were falling ill with strange symptoms and yet there was no local capability to test for Leptospirosis, which is something that we were warned could rear it head as the stagnant waters marooned entire communities.

Many of those with symptoms associated with leptospirosis were taken to the hospitals and then subjected to tests which had to be sent abroad to confirm the diagnosis. This is certainly not the idea situation, especially if the original diagnosis is not confirmed by the foreign tests.

It is therefore of critical importance that Guyana develops greater laboratory capacity, so that the results of tests can be quicker, thus allowing for more efficient interventions.

The fight against the HIV pandemic is also expected to be boosted by this facility which is housed within the compound of the Georgetown Public Hospital. The facility will have the ability to test an infant born to an HIV-infected mother.

It will be able to do this test within weeks of birth, and thus allow for life-saving therapy. It will more importantly allow for the detection of certain strains of tuberculosis which may have previously not been detectable.

With such a facility at our disposal, the Ministry of Health can feel vindicated in its partnership with foreign Governments and agencies. We join in extending appreciation to the Government and people of the United States of America for this timely gift.

We urge the Government to put this new laboratory under a management team which is separate and distinct from the hospital management, which is already burdened with great deal on its hands.

We hope that the new management team would strive to ensure that the facility, equipment and services are maintained to the highest standards.