DURING a visit to the Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn, New York, on Friday, President Dr. Irfaan Ali disclosed potential areas of collaboration with the specialised care facility, which will help to enhance Guyana’s health sector.

Dr. Ali, during a tour of the health facility, met several medical personnel from the Guyanese Diaspora.

During those engagements, he touted the idea of doing quarterly missions in Guyana, thereby enhancing training of local medical personnel, and focusing on specialised medical care.

“Soon as I go back, we should really plan through the mission here and engagement first with the Diaspora unit, and get a register of all the healthcare professionals that we have here; all the nurses, technicians, and then see how we could integrate you guys in what we are doing,” the Guyanese Head of State said.

He emphasised that Guyana should “really make use of this asset”.

Kings County Hospital Centre is a 627-bed municipal hospital in the East Flatbush neighbourhood of Brooklyn, New York City, providing a wide range of specialised care. It is owned and operated by NYC Health + Hospitals, a municipal agency that runs New York City’s public hospitals.

Currently, massive investments are being made to transform Guyana’s healthcare sector, with specific focus being placed on strengthening infrastructure and human resources.

Back in January, the sod was turned for the US$161 million facility in New Amsterdam, which is set to be equipped with all modern facilities to conduct transplants and other major surgeries.

At that ceremony, President Ali had said that training will be a major component of the hospital.

The new hospital will feature five operating theatres, one specifically for cardiac surgery, and advanced digital X-ray, and CT scan machines. It will be the second public facility to house an MRI machine and will be equipped for transplants.
Two additional buildings will be constructed within the compound – one for a teaching facility and another for a modern psychiatric facility.

Once completed, the new facility will be linked to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), which will be connected to Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, and other major hospitals around the world in telemedicine.

Meanwhile, the University of the West Indies (UWI) has signalled its support to collaborate with the Government of Guyana in establishing a medical school at New Amsterdam, Berbice, Region Six.

The establishment of a medical training facility here has been on the cards for the government since an agreement was signed for the construction of a new, modern level-five hospital at New Amsterdam.