THE Specialty Hospital (SH) will be for all who seek health services at a top-quality hospital with facilities, services and equipment. The current political disagreements, objections and snafus through greater expectations for more transparency, openness and involvement for timely, clear and concise communications, including documentation on its financing are causing alarm in Guyana and overseas.

It is time  for all leaders in Guyana to  put aside partisan politics and involve all Guyanese including politicians, voters, business organisations, NGOs, philanthropists and the diaspora to mobilise collective strength to review, discuss and deliberate on the current status, plans, and numbers to move towards more progress, towards finalisation.

I read recently, that Guyana’s Auditor General is actively working on the audit report which is expected shortly, for parliamentary, public scrutiny. With all due respect, most contracts will contain ‘known and unknown items, which will need discussions, deliberations, and compromises in order to find solutions, and I am sure this will apply to the SH contracts.

There are three sides to each story-your side; my side and the truth.

This project is the vision, conceptualisation of former President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo’s administration with a majority government. From the November 2011 general elections,there is a new political dispensation where the combined opposition parties have a one-seat majority. This will require deliberations, involvement and consultations to secure this transformational medical development in Guyana.

Seven key facts and pillars are:

1. The SH is not a project for the ruling party or government. It is for all. 2. Globally, governments’ responsibilities are to provide security with low crime, health, housing, adequate food, general well-being and opportunities for human development, as well as an attractive investment climate and to enable value-added production, massive job creation, and economic development. 3. Government leaders will need to be more open with the construction, financial and operational details, subject to the confidentially contractual agreements. 4. Guyanese, deserve and should enjoy adequate health care with the latest equipment, skilled global medical professionals and administrators with the provision of comprehensive health care in their homeland. 5. There is distrust, miscommunication and fear for the SH, so a strong encouragement for the management, leadership and construction teams to reconfigure, regroup and re-energise all in order to attain trust, support, and high expectations for the SH. 6. A strategic, smart, and well managed SH, with global medical physicians, staff and administrative services will become a reality. This will be a boost for medical tourism. 7. An urgent appeal, plea, and encouragement to all, to rally together, discuss, deliberate, and decide the way forward for the SH.

Guyana’s Minister of Health, and team, should lead the way to help minimise the current distrust, tempers and negative opinions relating to the SH. Openness, transparency, and inclusivity, will enable a SH’s financing, construction and a spectacular  opening.