Guyana, US to explore opportunities to close human capital gaps–as local health sector continues to expand

WITH rapid expansion taking place in the health sector, Guyana will be exploring the opportunities for collaboration with the US to close existing human resources gaps, President Dr. Irfaan Ali has said.

Dr. Ali made those remarks during a joint press conference with United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday.
President Ali said: “…with our expanding healthcare system and critical shortage of human capital, we will explore areas of collaboration in filling existing gaps”.

The Head of State related that Guyana has reassured the United States that the nation will continue to ensure all international and local labour laws are adhered to in the hiring of regional and international labour.

Earlier in the week, during the signing ceremony for the extension of the national healthcare initiative in collaboration with Hess Corporation and Mount Sinai Health System, President Ali highlighted the importance of building human capital to keep up with the transformation taking place in the country’s health sector.

He said: “The healthcare system can have the best equipment, the best infrastructure, but if you don’t have the human capital, it cannot deliver.”
Currently, 12 new hospitals are being constructed, and 8,000 people will staff these facilities.

Last Month, Dr. Ali said that by 2028, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration would have constructed and operationalised 12 state-of-the-art regional hospitals, in keeping with the objective of delivering world-class healthcare services to Guyanese.
Six of the 12 institutions are expected to be commissioned in the second and third quarters of 2025.

These six facilities are: Lima, De Kinderen, Enmore, Diamond, Bath, and the No 75 Regional Hospitals in Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

Added to this, significant investments are being made to upgrade facilities in hinterland communities such as the Moruca Regional Hospital, Kato Regional Hospital and Lethem Regional Hospital which are set to be fully upgraded and operational by 2027.

Last June, it was disclosed that the government had undertaken a comprehensive manpower survey to evaluate the demand for qualified and skilled personnel.

At the time, Vice-President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo had indicated that the government had initiated the recruitment and training of individuals to support the upcoming 12 hospitals.
He said, “We have to have people, and we are planning for that now; we are planning on management constantly.”