On Saturday, Guyana’s first fully automated histopathology lab opened at Dr. Balwant Singh’s Hospital.
Dr. Madhu Singh, the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, said that the equipment and buildings cost between $3 and $3.5 million.
Singh told reporters that the histopathology lab, in particular, will help almost all of the people who go to the privately-owned hospital for medical care, since its services will help the hundreds of people who get care every day get more accurate diagnoses faster.
Singh spoke at the hospital’s opening ceremony on Saturday. He said that the hospital’s use of newer technologies makes it possible for Guyana to get modern services like those in developed countries.
She said, “It will change the way we think about diagnostics and testing.”
A histopathology lab does a lot of different things, like check ups on the heart, chest pains, and other problems inside the body. It could also help make it easier to find and treat cancer.
Also, a 128-slice CT scanner will let doctors get better quality 3D images of a patient than the average CT scanner.
President Dr. Irfaan Ali says that these kinds of investments in much-needed specialized medical services help Guyana stay “ahead of the game.”
The Head of State said that the investments were made as part of a well-thought-out plan by his government to encourage local investments in private healthcare.
This plan includes tax breaks and other incentives for investing in healthcare, updating the laws that govern the field, and training large groups of healthcare workers to meet local needs and demands.
He said that private companies like Dr. Balwant Singh’s Hospital respond to policy directions and the focus on improving local healthcare.
“We made it very clear that the public health care system must help the private sector…
And private health care must be able to offer specialized care.
“When we get to this level of health care, we can no longer say it’s for Guyanese; it must draw people from all over the world,” said the President.
