By Anara Khan
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (DPI) – Guyana’s ability to fight the coronavirus (COVID-19) will be boosted with a $205.8 million (US $1,029,000) grant from the government of Japan.
This was disclosed by minister of health, Dr Frank Anthony, at Mondays COVID-19 update. Over the last six months, the ministry of health had been working on securing the grant which will be used to purchase much-needed equipment for the health sector, which will assist in the COVID-19 fight.
“Some of the things that we’ll be getting through that grant include imaging equipment, ultrasound where we can use to help with the diagnosis of COVID. We are getting at least four different ultrasound machines; we are also getting some sterilisers, ECG machines. We’ll get some pulse oximeters.”
The equipment is expected to arrive in Guyana in November and in addition, four new ambulances will be purchased. Since assuming office in August 2020, the PPP/C government has worked assiduously to boost the health sector’s ability to combat COVID-19.
The country has so far received generous donations of personal protective equipment (PPE), medical equipment such as ventilators, funding and COVID-19 vaccines from several countries, non-governmental organisations and international partners. In addition to the sensitisation campaigns to educate the public on COVID-19, government has instituted a number of gazetted measures to control the spread of the deadly disease. These include a national curfew and limitations on the operations of businesses.
Much effort has also been put into procuring enough vaccines to inoculate the population.
