IDB fine-tuning US$160M loan to boost healthcare in Guyana

Jun 28, 2022 News

– funds to target NA, Linden hospitals, digitize services

Kaieteur New – The Government of Guyana, through the Ministry of Health has applied to the Inter-American Development Bank for a US$160 million loan to help boost the services offered at three major hospitals in the country and also initiate the digitization of health care services to the Hinterland region.
The IDB on its website indicated that the loan is currently being prepared and has not yet been approved. According to the project details, the objective is to improve the health of the Guyanese population through increased access, quality, and efficiency of health services.

Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony

As such, the initiatives will seek to improve health outcomes associated with low and high complexity procedures, through the extension of hospitals’ capacity; extend the coverage of diagnostic, medical consultation, and patient management services, inclusive of the country’s hinterlands, through digital health; and increase the efficiency of the public health system, by strengthening key logistic, management, and support processes and inputs. The first operation of the loan features three components that includes ‘Supporting health services networks’ for US$48 million; ‘Strengthening digital health’ at the cost of US$7.2 million and ‘Promoting health sector management and efficiency’ for US$3 million.
Under the first component, finances will be put towards expanding capacity of the New Amsterdam Hospital in Region Six and the Linden Hospital Complex in Region 10 to provide lower-complexity services and help alleviate the burdens of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). According to the document “The activities to be funded by this component include: (i) infrastructure rehabilitation and expansion at the New Amsterdam Hospital (level 4), Linden Hospital complex (level 4), and the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) (level 5), considering energy and water efficiency and climate change risk reduction features; (ii) purchase of medical equipment and furniture for these and other facilities; (iii) services for
architectural and engineering design and construction supervision; and (iv) corrective and preventive maintenance of infrastructure works and medical equipment and improvement of installed maintenance capacity.”
Meanwhile, the second component will address the digitization of health services in the country. It will finance the digital health governance and sustainability, which will cover assessments of preparedness, national strategy and budget, and digital health foundations, data privacy norms, cyber security and electronic health record strategy among several others. This component will also address the strengthening and expansion of the current teleradiology and teleophthalmology networks, plus other telemedicine services such as teleconsulting and triage, specifically to the country’s hinterland areas. Component two of the loan will additionally boost telehealth infrastructure and connectivity through the implementation of an electronic health record system; and software maintenance and support.
Component three of the US$160 million loan will be used to promote the management and efficiency of the health sector through a supply chain management, storage facilities, and implementation of an electronic logistics management system. It will boost the laboratory network too by optimizing equipment, supplies and transportation. The loan will also be used for human resource quality and availability; national surveillance system and pandemic and public health emergency preparedness improve health care lines.
Another US$1.8 million under this loan will be channeled to administration and program monitoring and evaluation. According to the IDB “These resources will support the MOH in program management and assessment of its effects. It will finance specialized consulting services for project implementation, costs associated with the Project Executing Unit (PEU), and evaluations of project implementation and impact.”
Under the justification for the loan, it was noted that Guyana has a national public health system that pursues universal coverage free of charge to all Guyanese while only around five percent of the population use voluntary private health insurance, and out-of-pocket payments comprised an estimated 32 percent of total health spending in 2019.
Additionally, “A recent nationwide assessment of 330 health facilities showed that many of them require infrastructure rehabilitation, construction and/or upgrade and equipment replacement or provision. Twenty percent of the buildings had no electricity, and only 60 percent of buildings received water continuously during operating hours. In addition, just 20 buildings (6 percent) received treated water,” the IDB states. Moreover, 24 of the buildings were judged to require immediate
rehabilitation and/or construction.
The country’s principal national reference hospital the GPHC requires significant infrastructure investments to improve patient flows; alleviate overcrowding; reduce the risk of cross-contamination; and expand key clinical medicine and surgery as well as support services such as imaging, laboratory, logistics and administration.
Similarly, at the time of evaluation in 2018/19, the New Amsterdam and Linden Regional Hospitals were deemed to require rehabilitation in multiple service areas within three years. The assessment also found significant gaps in the
availability of medical equipment and essential items, including medicines.
In addition, it was noted that Guyana currently lacks a comprehensive telemedicine system that could improve access to health specialists and diagnostic exams, particularly for the population located in the hinterlands – the majority of which is indigenous. “In addition to mitigating some of the challenges related to human resources limitations, telehealth can also contribute to reduce medical errors and improve quality of care,” the IDB said.