Government to prioritise return of kidney transplant surgery at GPHC – as Doobay Medical Centre officially opens
Georgetown, GINA, January 29, 2012
Source - GINA
President of the Doobay Medical Centre Inc Dr. Budhendra Doobay giving President Donald Ramotar a tour inside the Dialysis Centre
Heartened by the private sector led initiative that saw the establishment of the Doobay Medical Centre Inc, the government announced the opening of a dialysis unit at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation by month-end.
With the postponement of scheduled kidney transplant surgeries in January and March of 2011, a commitment was also made to have this kind of surgery return to the GPHC “sooner rather than later.”
Dr. Budhendra Doobay, President of the Doobay Medical Centre Inc has generously donated two dialysis machines to the GPHC similar to the ten located at his East Coast Demerara medical centre.
The Doobay centre which is also to become a premiere teaching and research medical centre locally is also providing training for nurses of the GPHC in anticipation for the launch of its dialysis unit.
Beneficiary of the Doobay Medical Centre Inc, Police Commissioner (retd) Laurie Lewis speaking at the opening of the Doobay Medical Centre Inc
The cost of dialysis was one of the motivational factors that led to the establishment of the Doobay Medical Centre Inc. Speaking at the ceremonial opening today Dr Doobay said there were complaints that such costs were high.
President Donald Ramotar joined Dr. Doobay, Minister of Health Dr. Bheri Ramsaran, Canadian High Commissioner David Devine, members of the medical fraternity and overseas partners of the centre at its commissioning today.
In Guyana the average cost of dialysis is $36,000 per session and a person with renal failure would require three sessions. Dialysis is the process by which the blood is purified in cases of kidney failure.
The centre at Annandale on the East Coast Demerara, offers dialysis at a reasonable cost of 15,000 per session and free of cost to those genuinely in need but cannot afford it.
President Donald Ramotar and Minister of Health Dr. Bheri Ramsaran with the nurses of the newly opened Doobay Medical Centre Inc
Minister Ramsaran was heartened by the initiative and believes it is a model that can be emulated in the public health system. He said is comes at a time when the Government is making “every effort to consolidate and further build on the solid gains inherited from the past ten or so years in the public health sector.”
“We appreciate what it being done by the centre with an eye on the economics of it, where the poorer sections of the population will not be left out. This effort to strengthen dialysis services is much needed. The expanded and cheaper services now available locally will reduce the material burden on the Government of Guyana,” Minister Ramsaran said.
The Government has been supporting Guyanese in need of dialysis services overseas with financial assistance to the tune of $14M in aggregate, to cover the cost incurred since 2009. A total of 42 patients have benefitted thus far.
The Doobay Medical Centre Inc
President Ramotar noted however, that while 30 percent of the national budget has been going to the social services since 1992, the Government on its own cannot realise the full potential without partnership.
“This is the kind of spirit and cooperation that we need in our society for us to move forward. Help is very vital when we speak about developing the human capital,” President Ramotar said.
He endorsed the partnership which was engendered between the Government and the Doobay Medical Centre and pledged continued support to similar initiatives in the future.
The specialist hospital that is billed for construction at Turkeyen is also an impending addition to the dimension of services in the local health sector.
The EXIM Bank of India has approved and made available the funding at concessionary terms for the construction of the specialty hospital at Liliendaal and the Government in December last year budgeted $97M for site preparation works.
Georgetown, GINA, January 29, 2012
Source - GINA
President of the Doobay Medical Centre Inc Dr. Budhendra Doobay giving President Donald Ramotar a tour inside the Dialysis CentreHeartened by the private sector led initiative that saw the establishment of the Doobay Medical Centre Inc, the government announced the opening of a dialysis unit at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation by month-end.
With the postponement of scheduled kidney transplant surgeries in January and March of 2011, a commitment was also made to have this kind of surgery return to the GPHC “sooner rather than later.”
Dr. Budhendra Doobay, President of the Doobay Medical Centre Inc has generously donated two dialysis machines to the GPHC similar to the ten located at his East Coast Demerara medical centre.
The Doobay centre which is also to become a premiere teaching and research medical centre locally is also providing training for nurses of the GPHC in anticipation for the launch of its dialysis unit.
Beneficiary of the Doobay Medical Centre Inc, Police Commissioner (retd) Laurie Lewis speaking at the opening of the Doobay Medical Centre IncThe cost of dialysis was one of the motivational factors that led to the establishment of the Doobay Medical Centre Inc. Speaking at the ceremonial opening today Dr Doobay said there were complaints that such costs were high.
President Donald Ramotar joined Dr. Doobay, Minister of Health Dr. Bheri Ramsaran, Canadian High Commissioner David Devine, members of the medical fraternity and overseas partners of the centre at its commissioning today.
In Guyana the average cost of dialysis is $36,000 per session and a person with renal failure would require three sessions. Dialysis is the process by which the blood is purified in cases of kidney failure.
The centre at Annandale on the East Coast Demerara, offers dialysis at a reasonable cost of 15,000 per session and free of cost to those genuinely in need but cannot afford it.
President Donald Ramotar and Minister of Health Dr. Bheri Ramsaran with the nurses of the newly opened Doobay Medical Centre IncMinister Ramsaran was heartened by the initiative and believes it is a model that can be emulated in the public health system. He said is comes at a time when the Government is making “every effort to consolidate and further build on the solid gains inherited from the past ten or so years in the public health sector.”
“We appreciate what it being done by the centre with an eye on the economics of it, where the poorer sections of the population will not be left out. This effort to strengthen dialysis services is much needed. The expanded and cheaper services now available locally will reduce the material burden on the Government of Guyana,” Minister Ramsaran said.
The Government has been supporting Guyanese in need of dialysis services overseas with financial assistance to the tune of $14M in aggregate, to cover the cost incurred since 2009. A total of 42 patients have benefitted thus far.
The Doobay Medical Centre IncPresident Ramotar noted however, that while 30 percent of the national budget has been going to the social services since 1992, the Government on its own cannot realise the full potential without partnership.
“This is the kind of spirit and cooperation that we need in our society for us to move forward. Help is very vital when we speak about developing the human capital,” President Ramotar said.
He endorsed the partnership which was engendered between the Government and the Doobay Medical Centre and pledged continued support to similar initiatives in the future.
The specialist hospital that is billed for construction at Turkeyen is also an impending addition to the dimension of services in the local health sector.
The EXIM Bank of India has approved and made available the funding at concessionary terms for the construction of the specialty hospital at Liliendaal and the Government in December last year budgeted $97M for site preparation works.
