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Linden’s $2B hospital opens its doors
“Today is an historic occasion for us at Linden Hospital complex, for it is the day that we are witnessing the official launching of this new hospital. Sometimes we refer to this exercise as the commissioning of the hospital,” said Chief Executive Officer of the Linden Hospital, Gordon Gumbs.
President Jagdeo and staff at the Linden Hospital yesterday
At the time he was addressing the official opening of the spanking new facility at Riverside Drive, Mackenzie, Linden.”
I would like to begin by expressing our gratitude to the Government of Guyana for the decision to build a new Hospital in Linden.
Back in 1996, when the Hospital changed ownership from the bauxite industry to the Ministry of Health, a study was done to determine the cost of repairing the hospital to bring it to a state of respectability. That figure came up to $600M.
Those repairs would have been done to a wooden building, and would have prolonged the life of the hospital for another 10 years.
The decision to rebuild was based on the consideration that spending perhaps twice that much on a concrete building, would guarantee a continued existence of at least 50 years.’’
Gumbs noted that the old hospital was established in 1925 by the Demerara Bauxite company, and served the Linden community and environs faithfully for 84 years. He also pointed out that the new facility which he projected would serve the community for another 100 years is a great benefit.
President Bharrat Jagdeo who was also on hand to witness the historic event declared, “We don’t have large sums of money but every cent counts, and we’re one of the few countries that initially used our own finances to acquire anti retrovirals, and building more facilities.
“Its not just quantitative but qualitative access; already we’re seeing benefits of increasing spending in the health sector. Life expectancy rates are going up, while the prevalence of HIV has abated.’’
The president noted that while previously there were only 150 doctors within the health sector, by 2012 there will be 400 doctors.
“In Guyana we have public health care that every one can access, but we’re delivering services, but not having accountability, or how resources are used, or whether the right attitudes are displayed.
“The Health Sector must be people-centered, and therefore we must have a service agreement that demands that Management at Hospitals report to residents on their performance.’’
The State of the Art Hospital is very important for Linden and Region Ten, the president said and pointed out that the community holds a very special place in the development of the country.
He also spoke of the Takatu Bridge link and the significant development expected to accrue as a result.
President Jagdeo spoke of the Ophthalmology Centre and other health sector services established with our own resources, but noted that it would be inadequate if we just build buildings.
Minister of Health Dr Leslie Ramsammy said that a new hospital must not only be a new structure, but must bring new things.
He reiterated, “It is truly a state of the art hospital!”
“On behalf of the government I had promised that this hospital would have been commissioned November 2008. The commissioning is taking place one year later. I want to publicly apologize to the President and to the people of Linden and to the RDC of Region Ten for the tardiness of the Ministry of Health.”
The reconstruction of the Linden Hospital cost about $2B.
The massive investment in the reconstruction of the hospital network is a part of the dramatic increase in investment in health. For the 2009 budget year, we are investing about US$80 per capita on health or about $13B, Dr Ramsammy said.
He added that last year, Government spent $264M on medicines and medical supplies in Region Ten.
Also on hand to witness the commissioning ceremony were Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, Dr Bheri Ramsarran and other Government officials, and IDB resident representative Marco Nicola.
All were taken on a guided tour of the institution.
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