Opportunities to partner with the Dominican Republic and others in our Hemisphere

Feb 24, 2025 Letters

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Dear Editor,

The Dominican Republic is a leading exporter and manufacturer in the region of medical devices. They are manufacturing devices for major companies such as Medtronic, which does over $31 Billion USD in annual revenue with attractive growth in both revenue and profitability. The skills and technology used in this sector are attractive and state of the art, but there are significant risks to carcinogen exposure. These cancer-causing substances will increase the risk of cancer.

Guyana’s push towards improving the Healthcare sector and the plan to focus on Research & Development in the sector offers an opportunity to provide healthcare services to the people of the Dominican Republic and others in the Hemisphere. An agreement that integrates our healthcare systems will allow Guyana to partner with the countries in the Region and the Hemisphere for the long term. This entails being able to accept their health insurance, integration of the payment systems and a focus on the services that deal with the potential cancers that they will be exposed to as a result of the development of the medical device sector and other sectors that cause carcinogenic exposure.

Maintaining a healthy environment in Guyana will also help those in need of care to have a good experience during that difficult period of their lives. A fertilizer plant may affect this.

We should not compromise the opportunity to provide services that will be highly appreciated and valued by those who wish to experience the beauty of the tropics combined with excellent healthcare. The need for hospice services will also arise and Guyana can position itself as that place in the tropics where those wishing to have a great end of life experience can visit. Death is an unfortunate part of life, but it is a reality that some prematurely face due to the choices made during their country’s economic development. As a good neighbour and partner, Guyana can help by providing the care and environment that would be appreciated by those patients. In the U.S. many people save their money over most of their career to be able to visit the Caribbean for vacation.

A once in a lifetime experience that many look forward to. When faced with cancer most of those funds are spent and the opportunity to vacation in the Caribbean is lost. By having cancer treatment facilities in Guyana, these patients will have an opportunity to fulfill their life’s dream of visiting the Caribbean. A priceless experience that both the patient and their families will appreciate. Our caring nature and hospitable culture can provide the joy most patients need during this difficult period of their lives, and offer their families some happiness as well. Guyana has in it what the world needs to be healthier and happier.

We can share this with the world in many ways and this is one way to do so. Unfortunately, given some of the plans expressed by the government our own citizens may be in need of these services. Houston Texas has a long history with oil & gas, oil refining and a large Exxon presence. The area has also developed a strong cancer treatment and healthcare sector that caters to locals and visitors.

After listening to the opening speech given by the President during the Energy Conference and Supply Chain Expo, it became clear that some additional plans for investment are not as thoroughly developed and are in need of more thought and analysis. One example that stood out was the expressed interest in partnering with Barbados to access cruise line tourism. However, he then stated that the target consumer was different, and did not express an interest in pursuing a target consumer where there is overlap that allows the leveraging of synergies with Barbados’ product offering.

Also missing was the strengthening of the law-and-order weaknesses that were exposed the last time someone from a cruise ship robbed after de docking.  Another half-baked idea presented was the pursuit of the egg market, but no derisking of potential bird flu exposure was discussed. It is important to consider not just the upside of these ventures, but also the risks, weaknesses and threats to the investment. The current administration should flesh out their business plans before presenting them in order to avoid risking the public losing confidence in their pursuits.

CRG recommends the use of SWOT analysis during the development process. Unfortunately, the pursuit of another Gas to Energy (GTE) pipeline also falls in this category of half-baked business plans. We the Guyanese people cannot afford to make bad investments. First finish the current GTE project and prove it a success while maximizing the use of the first pipeline’s capacity before making another investment.

If the shipbuilder can make $Billions of USD by providing some of the basic needs of the sector, while we spend similar amounts to have the funds lay at the bottom of the ocean where it currently doesn’t earn, but costs us interest, then maybe we should relook at where the money making opportunities are within the value chain and develop the required capabilities to capitalize on those lucrative opportunities. As the President shared in his closing remarks, everything is not fully thought out nor final. Given that this is the situation that the current administration finds itself in, we owe it to our citizens to relook at the ideas on the table, add to them, prioritize the best opportunities and fully develop the business plans associated with them before making a financial investment.

Sincerely,

Mr. Jamil Changlee

(Opportunities to partner with the Dominican Republic and others in our Hemisphere)

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