Hospitals are prepared to deal with increasing COVID-19 cases- Health Minister

Jun 17, 2022 News

Kaieteur News – Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony on Thursday assured that with the increasing number of new COVID-19 cases being recorded, hospitals across the country are prepared to treat and handle those cases of persons requiring hospitalisation.

The Infectious Diseases Hospital located at Liliendaal.

During his daily COVID-19 update yesterday, he said that there is enough beds for patients and that the ministry is currently in the process of installing a new oxygen plant at the Infectious Diseases Hospital, Liliendaal to treat persons who would need intensive care.
As reported on, health authorities have started to record an increase in cases again from May which have since increased the number of hospitalization in the country. For the year so far, over 25,000 persons have gotten infected with the virus. Majority of the cases have been recorded in areas such as Region Four, Three and Six.
“We have a lot of capacity in terms of treatment of patients not only at the Infectious Diseases Hospital but in every region. At each one of the regional hospitals, we have established a number of beds to treat COVID persons, so we have a very large capacity in terms of treatment of patients,” he said.
He briefed also that at the Ocean View Hospital, they have approximately 198 beds equipped with the relevant equipment and 52 of those are in the Intensive Care Unit for patients.
Apart from that, the Ministry is in the process of installing an oxygen plant at the hospital to better assist persons who have trouble breathing on their own. As previously stated, when patients at the Infectious Hospital needed oxygen, they were being supplied it through cylinders. This way, the Minister had stated was too costly.
So to help reduce the cost being spent on oxygen daily, a non-governmental organization called the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) and Sewa Guyana had donated a $31 million oxygen plant to the Ministry in its fight against COVID-19.
The plant, which was sourced from India had arrived in the country last week, is now being installed at the hospital.
“So that container with the oxygen plant arrived in the country last week and right now, we are in the process of offloading and doing the installation of the plant so that we would be able to generate our own oxygen on site,” he mentioned.
Apart from noting that there is large capacity in terms of treatment, the Minister is encouraging persons to get vaccinated against the virus. To date, vaccines are available for persons five years and older.