Health Ministry receives solar direct drive refrigerators from UNICEF

Two solar direct drive refrigerators were handed over to Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony by UNICEF Area Representative to Guyana and Suriname, and Special Representative to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Nicolas Pron, on Wednesday. It was noted that the equipment which was procured through the COVAX cold chain equipment mechanism to support the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, will aid in the storage of vaccines.

“This donation like previous donations that UNICEF has contributed before, will ensure that access to Covid-19 and other vaccines reach the last mile, the hardest to reach populations,” Pron said as he handed over the equipment at the ministry’s storage bond in Kingston. Minister Anthony expressed his ministry’s appreciation for the donation, noting that the ministry has also been in talks with UNICEF about how government could access Paxlovid for COVID-19 patients.

“You have been a very good partner to us, especially during this Covid-19 pandemic. We have benefitted from a lot of the generosity of UNICEF, through getting a lot of equipment for cold chain and not only cold chain, but helping us with some of the important surveys that we require to understand vaccine hesitancy,” Minister Anthony said. Meanwhile, the Maternal and Child Health Unit also received a quantity of birthing kits and diaper rash creams from Food For the Poor Guyana, which was handed over by Javier Ramirez, Director of Procurement and Fulfilment at Food for the Poor’s head office in Florida.

The health minister disclosed that the agency has always been supportive, however he is now looking for a more structured relationship for maximum benefit. “We are very grateful for the effort, the help, and we want to make sure that as we move forward, especially in the health sector, that we make it even more meaningful, even more impactful, and I think with the team that is in place now, we can structure that relationship,” Dr. Anthony expressed.

Additionally, the Health Ministry’s Maternal and Child Health Improvement Project handed over $16M worth of medical equipment to the Region Four Maternal and Child Health Unit. It was revealed that the equipment includes portable ultrasound machine, autoclaves, and portable examination lights. It was revealed that these will help in the delivery of health services in the unit.