20 doctors, 58 nurses to staff recommissioned Diamond ‘Smart Hospital’
The Accident and Emergency Room at the recommissioned Diamond Smart Hospital
Health Care Delivery at Diamond, East Bank Demerara is expected to be improved with the recommissioning of that institution which now sports a number of new features and services along with a more well-trained workforce.
Diamond Diagnostic Center as it was popularly known in its initial operational stages, earned for itself, a reputation of being unable to deal with many of the emergency and other cases which would go there from time to time. Many of those persons were ultimately transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital.
Today saw the recommissioning of the facility that is now retrofitted under the Smart Health Care Facilities Project of the United Kingdom and the Pan American Health Organisation.
The Solar Power System battery set-up that powers 90% of the hospital
Twenty Doctors, fifty-eight nurses, a state of art solar power supply system that compliments the backup generator, rainfall recycling system, 24 hours emergency, obstetrics, gynecology, women care, a delivery room, surgical room, orthopedic, imagery, X-Ray, Ultrasounds, phlebotomy, pharmacy and outpatients are some of the services and features that the will now be provided by the Diamond facility.
It is expected that with these services now being offered at the Diamond Hospital, overcrowding at the Georgetown Public Hospital mainly with patients from the East Bank Demerara who do not require advanced medical treatment, would be significantly reduced.
The entrance to the facility and waiting area
There are 81 other facilities that are being considered for a similar upgrade, Diamond was the pilot project.
PAHO/WHO Guyana Representative, Dr. Luis Codina said the retrofitting of the facility was not without its challenges given the coronavirus pandemic and the inability of the contractor to at times have his supplies and delivery of construction and other materials on time. The issue of social distancing on the worksite also had its part to play but nevertheless, the facility was able to be completed within schedule and took eleven months.
Ray Davison who represented the UK High Commissioner, H.E Ross Denny, recalled that he first became involved with Diamond Hospital back in 2018 and said that what he saw back then to what is being presented today is very commendable on the part of the Ministry of Health.
He said all Guyana should be proud of what they now have at the Diamond health Facility and its capabilities and services to be offered. He said the first five Smart Health Care Facilities Project in Guyana would be financed by grants from the United Kingdom Government.
Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony said the facility will be climate-resilient. The facility is expected to be able to fully function for hours even if there is a power failure from the Guyana Power and Light. Dr. Anthony noted that it remains important for facilities to be constructed and modernized to adapt to the changing climate and all other spin-offs from global warming.
He stressed that previously, the facility was very cramped with persons waiting for services and that there was a general hassle for persons to move from one location to the other within the hospital seeking services and or the various departments. Those issues have been fixed with a more free-flowing chronological process from the entrance to exit at the facility.
The Health Minister said that as the process goes along, the ministry and regional health officials will remain open to ideas on how they can better tailor the health facilities across the country to meet the needs of citizens and those seeking health care.
