$5.7B allocated for cervical cancer testing, dialysis support, other programmes

Feb 03, 2024 News

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…as National Assembly approves $110 Billon for Health Ministry

By Renay Sambach

Kaieteur News – The Committee of Supply approved a substantial allocation of $110 billion for the Ministry of Health during its Friday session, with a notable $5.7 billion designated to address various medical challenges faced by citizens. This significant increase marks a strategic move by the Government of Guyana (GoG) to bolster its healthcare initiatives.

Last year, the Government allocated $863 million to support citizens facing diverse health issues. This amount was later increased to $1 billion through a supplementary budget. However, this year witnesses a substantial rise, with the Government allocating $5.7 billion to the Ministry of Health.

Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, provided a detailed breakdown of how these funds will be utilized during the committee session yesterday.

Under the category of Policy Development and Administration, $8.6 billion was approved, with $5.7 billion specifically aimed at addressing medical challenges faced by citizens.

Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Dr. Karen Cummings raised questions regarding the significant increase, seeking clarification on the specific areas of expenditure.

“We have a special cervical cancer testing program that we’ll be launching this year,” the minister responded. Dr. Anthony explained that the increase is primarily intended to launch a cervical cancer testing programme, allocating $2.8 billion for this initiative to cover approximately 350,000 individuals.

Additionally, $1.8 billion will be used to provide spectacles vouchers for children and the elderly, benefiting around 600,000 people.

“Under this heading as well, we have been treating or we have been giving assistance to a number of patients. And this year, we have set aside close to $600,000,000 to help persons with coronary heart disease,” the minister disclosed.

He continued, “Last year, we spent $577,000,000 helping close to 1,500 patients. So, I think this is a very worthwhile expenditure.”

This year, the government will be assisting dialysis patients with the allocation of close to $360 million.

“We have also set aside a sum of $212,000,000 to assist persons who might need things like MRI and CT scans and so forth,” the Health Minister said.

Dr. Cummings sought further clarification on the distribution of dialysis services across different regions.

“We now have several regional dialysis centers,” the minister responded.

Dr. Anthony highlighted the presence of several regional dialysis centers in Regions 2 (Suddie), 3 (Parika, Vreed-en-Hoop), 4, 6 (New Amsterdam), and 10(Linden).

Notably the minister stated that the ministry has embarked on a public-private partnership model.

He explained, “So we have been in partnership with many of these private providers, and when these facilities are housed like, for example, at Suddie, we provide the accommodation for the center, but it’s run by a private institution.”

Minister Anthony stated that the public-private partnership helps reduce the cost for patients. He said, “We also provide them with utilities, water, provide them with electricity, and so forth. And in that way, we were able to bring down the cost, because for some of those patients, they would pay, like, $10,000 per session.”

Notably, the minister said too that the dialysis patients also require Epogen and the ministry has been providing that for them.

“So if every two weeks they need that, they would be able to receive that from us. The other thing that they get is that every three months at least, they need to have laboratory checks, and we are able to run all of those tests for them free of cost,” Dr. Anthony said.

Dialysis patients would need the voucher and the doctors would certify that. The ministry also has a register of the patients who have been in the programme, the minister stated.

Opposition MP, Volda Lawrence commended the Minister for continuing the public-private partnership, expressing hope for similar collaborations in other healthcare areas. Notably, she also advocated for a holistic family check voucher programme, specifically targeting prostate and breast cancer.

Minister Anthony acknowledged the need for expanded services, citing the growth in assistance provided under the cervical cancer testing programme. He outlined ongoing initiatives to address prostate cancer, including the acquisition of testing machines and the upcoming launch of an aggressive programme targeting men.

“Now, in the ministry, we have started up a programme to deal with prostate cancer, and we have actually assigned someone who is heading that programme on men’s health,” Dr. Anthony said.

He said too, “We actually do help a lot of other patients who require assistance, especially if they have to do biopsies and for the testing and so forth. So, under that section, we have been able to help quite a lot of people. So, it has grown.” the minister said.

Dr. Anthony disclosed that last year, the Ministry of Health helped close to 2,468 patients for varying health issues.

As part of these efforts, a new pathology lab will be launched on Sunday, with reduced turnaround times for biopsies, ensuring timely diagnoses for patients – the minister said.

Minister Anthony assured that routine programmes within the ministry would cater to a broader population, underscoring the commitment to improving healthcare services across Guyana.

The following is the breakdown of the allocation for the Ministry of Health: Disease Control (communicable disease) $7.3 billion; Family and Primary Health Care Services $4 billion; Disease Control (non-communicable disease) $2.1 billion; Disability and Rehabilitation Services $1.1 billion; Standards and Technical Services $3.2 billion; Health Sciences Education $3 billion and Regional and Clinical Services $80.5 billion.

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• Budget 2024, Frank Anthony, Health, Medical, testing

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