…as Pres Ali pledges end to public hospital medicine shortages

Residents across Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) are set to benefit from improved access to essential medicines following the official commissioning of a new $230 million Regional Medical Distribution Centre at Onderneeming on Saturday. President Dr Irfaan Ali, who commissioned the modern facility, said the investment is part of the Government’s strategy to modernise Guyana’s healthcare system through digital innovation and decentralised services. President Ali explained that the distribution hub will improve the storage and delivery of medicines, ensuring health facilities throughout the region maintain adequate pharmaceutical supplies. He noted that communities in remote areas, including the Pomeroon, will receive medications more efficiently through enhanced logistics and inventory management systems. The facility is equipped with advanced digital technology that enables real-time monitoring of medicine stocks, helping health officials improve accountability, minimise shortages and streamline distribution.

“For too long, our healthcare system, particularly in regions outside the capital, has been plagued by logistical challenges. This facility changes that in a dynamic way. It allows us to stock sufficient quantities of medicines to meet the specific needs of this region,” President Ali said, adding, “And when I say the specific needs of this region, I mean all of Region Two, in all the health centres, health clinics, and health outposts all across…and even a section of Region One.” He said that the centre is a culmination of years of planning and a key aspect of strategy to ensure that health clinics and hospitals have more timely access to the medicines they need to save lives. Ali said Guyana’s public healthcare system is undergoing a major transformation aimed at ensuring patients no longer have to purchase essential medication from private pharmacies because of shortages at public health facilities. Speaking about the Government’s investment in strengthening the country’s pharmaceutical supply chain, the President reflected on the challenges that plagued the health sector during the 1980s, when public hospitals frequently lacked essential medication.