Relentless Medicare investment bodes well for Guyana

Dec 16, 2024 Letters

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Dear Editor,

This “New nursing school for New Amsterdam (slated) to be operationalised next year” must be contextualised. You see, Readers, the paucity of nurses worldwide is staggering. In fact, the overall shortage of health care workers was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), there were 27.9 million nurses globally in 2020, making up nearly 60 percent of the health professions and the largest occupational group in the health sector, but there is still an estimated shortage of up to 13 million nurses around the world.

Currently, the world can make use of millions of nurses to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 3.c on health financing and workforce. On this note, we all need to appreciate that “Health has a central place in SDG 3: (that is to) Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages, as “Almost all of the other 16 goals are directly related to health or will contribute to health indirectly (NB. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are 17 goals with 169 targets that all 191 UN Member States have agreed to try to achieve by the year 2030).

 

So, yes, even as efforts are ongoing to improve healthcare delivery across the country, the bigger picture is that Guyana is a key player globally in aiding with the SDGs. The news is that “The construction of a new nursing school at the site of the old New Amsterdam Hospital is expected to be completed sometime next year.” And Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony “… emphasised that the new institution will be providing modern facilities and resources to train nurses and medical workers effectively.” And it goes without saying that at the end of it all Guyana’s Health Care Sector will be in a better position “… to enhance the quality of healthcare services by ensuring that nursing professionals be well equipped with the latest knowledge and skills” (in this ever-evolving world of Medicare). Kudos to the People’s Progressive Party Government, as this venture proves that we have a”… government who is committed to advancing the healthcare system, and addressing the growing demand for skilled healthcare workers.”

A good thing to take note of is that there is a kind of parity that is in the offing, that will be quite evident and which will bring ‘ease’ and ‘comfort’ to the general public. I mean Guyana is not some little remote island, with a tiny land mass and a few people. It is a massive place, and so diversification and decentralisation are quite the order to go by. That is why “The new nursing school …  is being constructed simultaneously with a new hospital in the township.” As we recall, back in January of this year, “President Dr. Irfaan Ali had turned the sod for the construction of this US$161 million hospital (in New Amsterdam), which is intended to be a major hub, linking both the regional and country-wide healthcare facilities.”

I just love this network that was pointed out back then: “This hospital in Region Six is expected to be the hub, and everything around it will be the mechanisms … all the specialists and will all be connected through telemedicine to every other facility in this region whether in Canje Creek or Baracara (as) all the health centres and hospitals will be connected to this hospital through telemedicine.”

It gets better since on completion, “… the new facility will be linked to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), which will be connected to the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York and other major hospitals around the world through telemedicine.”

Enough said, but a final note is in order.

‘Editor, the issue of nurse shortages has become even more urgent in all countries. What makes matters worse is that an increasing number of nurses across the globe are expressing their intention to leave the profession due to heavy workloads, insufficient resources, burn out and stress related to COVID-19. In March 2023, in its report, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) stated that “… the worldwide shortage of nurses should be treated as a global health emergency. It says health systems around the world will only start to recover from the effects of the pandemic and be rebuilt when there is sufficient investment in a well-supported global nursing workforce.”

Imagine how well-poised Guyana is in talking up the slack, as a new nursing school for New Amsterdam is likely to be operationalised next year.

Sincerely

Hargesh B. Singh

(Relentless Medicare investment bodes well for Guyana)

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• Dr. Frank Anthony, Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, Relentless Medicare, United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

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