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, during today’s 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 sterilizers, 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.
Guyana 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 organizations, 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.
