Dr. Jagdeo reveals US$100M diagnostic centres for hinterland communities

Over US $100M in improved healthcare through the establishment of diagnostic centres, will see Amerindians benefitting soon.

The disclosure was made by Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, who reassured Amerindian leaders on Monday, that the development of their communities remains a priority for the Government. Dr Jagdeo in addressing the National Toshaos Conference (NTC) after a two-year hiatus, pointed out that the centres will be established from money earned from Guyana’s oil revenue.

“In each of the four hinterland regions; Regions One, Seven, Eight and Nine we will now build a massive diagnostic centre with all the world-class capability to do telemedicine in each of these areas so that you can access some of the best care in every region,” the Vice President said. He continued, “We anticipate those massive diagnostic centers will cost over US$100M in these areas, over GUY $20 billion, that is part of the plan on health care from training people etc.” 

Dr. Jagdeo stressed that like healthcare, hinterland residents will also have access to the best educational opportunities. He disclosed that internet accessibility will play a key role in government fulfilling that commitment, he stressed, as he pointed to the Guyana Academy of Learning (GOAL) programme.

VP Jagdeo revealed that US $17M was available to the last administration to address the issue, however, it only used about US $5M to purchase computers, which he said are now useless. Some of the internet hubs they sought to establish are incomplete and the internet service is poor compared to what is available on the coast, the Vice President noted.

Nevertheless, the former president declared that the government is working to fix the issue. “We are going to have to find a way even if it’s on a smaller basis moving the ICT programme and internet connectivity in these areas so that children could also benefit from the online scholarship programme,” the VP said.

Further, the Vice President assured  Amerindian leaders that they will directly benefit from funds earned from the preservation of Guyana’s forest through the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS). He noted that as in the past, government will use a percentage of the money to develop their communities.

“We want 15 per cent of all that is earned to go directly to indigenous communities.  This is outside of the money you get for anything else. The 15 per cent we will have to decide how it is allocated, that it should be shared among all the villages whether they have forest or not,” the VP said. Dr. Jagdeo revealed that leaders could expect an increase in their presidential grants, access to potable water by 2025 in all communities, access to electricity through solar energy, and titles to their lands.

Further, Dr. Jagdeo noted that food security and the creation of jobs in hinterland communities, are also priorities for the government, which has already made significant investments in those areas. “We are going to ensure that the rights of indigenous people that we fought to put in place, that were not always there through the law, the Constitution, the Amerindian Act, through the establishment of the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, through the establishment of the National Toashao Council, all were done under the PPP, we will fight to preserve and grow the rights,” Dr Jagdeo assured the leaders.

He added, “We take our promises seriously. If there is anything that you know or you need to learn about the People’s Progressive Party, we take the promises that we made to you when we travel around the country seriously.” It was disclosed that the NTC which runs for five days is being held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre under the theme ‘Good Governance and fast-tracking Amerindian Development.’