-huge sums go towards capacity building
THE health sector continues to advance with the addition of state-of-the-art institutions and trained personnel to man the institutions, with the aim of bettering health care services provided to citizens. To ensure that this is achieved, $7.2B of the $14B allocated to the sector, was expended for the first half of 2011. According to a Mid-Year report presented by Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh on Thursday in the National Assembly, the levels of expenditure have aided in the acceleration of the implementation of the national health programmes.
To further strengthen the skilled workforce and human resource system within the health sector, about $121M has been expended to further enhance health care professionals. This saw approximately 150 clinical and technical health personnel graduate in key field for the first half of this year alone.
The individuals have since been deployed to various health institutions countrywide, while an additional 28 clinical coordinators from remote areas and 42 tutors and part-time lecturers benefited from capacity building workshops to improve their skills.
In addition, 157 health professionals completed the Management Development Programme, while 14 health science tutors from across the three nursing schools completed the Health Science Management Programme.
Efforts are moving apace to merge the professional nurses and midwifery curricula into a single curriculum. While there are over 920 students in training, the Ministry of Health intends to train another 135 professional nurses, 1790 nursing assistants and 120 clinical and technical personnel to complement the growing demand for quality health care provided.
A new Maternal, Perinatal Strategy and Integrated Child Health Strategy 2011-2015 has been completed, while the Health Qual initiative has been extended to 21 health facilities including HIV and MCH wellness sites.
This is expected to be complemented by the nutrition education sessions conducted at 35 health clinics in Regions 3, 4 and 5 benefiting some 7,000 people.
The first half of the year also saw the sector expanding the cervical cancer screening programme through its mobile clinics countrywide.
About 1,450 women benefitted from VIA screening at the 17 locations across the country, for this year alone.
The Health Ministry will be taking the VIA screening services to the Lethem Hospital, East La Penitence and Dorothy Bailey Health Centres in the second half of 2011.
Government continues to place emphasis on health facilities across the country, expending over $227M for the construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of health facilities in the first half of the year.
This includes the construction of the new 214 bed in-patient facility which is expected to be completed shortly and the new emergency ward at the Fort Wellington Hospital. Additionally, works are ongoing on the general improvement of the water distribution and electrical systems at the maternity and medical buildings at the West Demerara Regional Hospital.
While works to expand the maternity ward at the Georgetown Public Hospital has commenced, a new waste disposal facility will also be implemented shortly and will be utilized by all surrounding hospitals.
The design specification for the 150 bed specialty hospital is also being finalised.(GINA)
Excerpts from the Guyana Chronicle
THE health sector continues to advance with the addition of state-of-the-art institutions and trained personnel to man the institutions, with the aim of bettering health care services provided to citizens. To ensure that this is achieved, $7.2B of the $14B allocated to the sector, was expended for the first half of 2011. According to a Mid-Year report presented by Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh on Thursday in the National Assembly, the levels of expenditure have aided in the acceleration of the implementation of the national health programmes.
To further strengthen the skilled workforce and human resource system within the health sector, about $121M has been expended to further enhance health care professionals. This saw approximately 150 clinical and technical health personnel graduate in key field for the first half of this year alone.
The individuals have since been deployed to various health institutions countrywide, while an additional 28 clinical coordinators from remote areas and 42 tutors and part-time lecturers benefited from capacity building workshops to improve their skills.
In addition, 157 health professionals completed the Management Development Programme, while 14 health science tutors from across the three nursing schools completed the Health Science Management Programme.
Efforts are moving apace to merge the professional nurses and midwifery curricula into a single curriculum. While there are over 920 students in training, the Ministry of Health intends to train another 135 professional nurses, 1790 nursing assistants and 120 clinical and technical personnel to complement the growing demand for quality health care provided.
A new Maternal, Perinatal Strategy and Integrated Child Health Strategy 2011-2015 has been completed, while the Health Qual initiative has been extended to 21 health facilities including HIV and MCH wellness sites.
This is expected to be complemented by the nutrition education sessions conducted at 35 health clinics in Regions 3, 4 and 5 benefiting some 7,000 people.
The first half of the year also saw the sector expanding the cervical cancer screening programme through its mobile clinics countrywide.
About 1,450 women benefitted from VIA screening at the 17 locations across the country, for this year alone.
The Health Ministry will be taking the VIA screening services to the Lethem Hospital, East La Penitence and Dorothy Bailey Health Centres in the second half of 2011.
Government continues to place emphasis on health facilities across the country, expending over $227M for the construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of health facilities in the first half of the year.
This includes the construction of the new 214 bed in-patient facility which is expected to be completed shortly and the new emergency ward at the Fort Wellington Hospital. Additionally, works are ongoing on the general improvement of the water distribution and electrical systems at the maternity and medical buildings at the West Demerara Regional Hospital.
While works to expand the maternity ward at the Georgetown Public Hospital has commenced, a new waste disposal facility will also be implemented shortly and will be utilized by all surrounding hospitals.
The design specification for the 150 bed specialty hospital is also being finalised.(GINA)
Excerpts from the Guyana Chronicle
THe PPP/C grasping at straws. 
