NA hospital gets vital equipment for ICU

The Ministry of Health today handed over two new ventilators and an oxygen concentrator to the New Amsterdam Hospital, East Berbice-Corentyne (Region Six) to boost health services there.

Minister, Hon. Dr. Frank Anthony told staff he hoped the new equipment would improve the quality of care delivered, particularly to COVID-19 patients.

“We want to ensure our ICUs are better equipped, and ventilators in an ICU are essential equipment,” Minister Anthony said.

The Minister also said he hoped use of the equipment leads to more COVID-19 recoveries. He noted that COVID-19 patients can quickly deteriorate from a mild form of the disease to a more severe form. “Those patients after being hospitalised would need respiratory support,” the Minister said.

The equipment was donated to the Ministry of Health by the Indian Government and the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO). It is part of a larger donation of 26 ventilators and 24 Oxygen Concentrators valued $122 million.

Meanwhile, Dr. Anthony also pledged to address several issues plaguing the Skeldon and Port Mourant hospitals.

“At [Skeldon] I found a number of things that we need to do there. For example, they don’t have an operating theatre and this is something that we’ll want to look at, see what we can do to fix that. There are also a number of other pieces of equipment that we think if they get there, will enhance the quality of service,” Dr. Anthony stated.

The hospitals are also hampered by non-functioning equipment and a shortage of various medications.

Minister Anthony revealed that the ministry is currently procuring $3.2 billion worth of medication to ensure that vital supplies are available at hospitals countrywide.