Significant progress on new Diamond Hospital, year-end deadline possible

The construction team on site at the new Diamond Hospital. (Photo: Ministry of Health/ January 2, 2024)

The China National Pharmaceutical Group Corporation, a Chinese state-owned enterprise commonly referred to as Sinopharm, was selected to construct the hospital. It is among six new regional hospitals that will be constructed this year.

On Tuesday, the minister said the hospital will have a modern emergency and accident department operating on a 24- hour basis, modern laboratories, two modern operating theatres and a minor theatre.

A impression of what the new hospital will look like. (Photo: Ministry of Health/ January 2, 2024)

There will also be outpatient clinics attached for persons living on the East Bank who often travel to the main referral hospital for clinic services.

“We will have a complete area for imaging and it’s not only going to be digital X-rays but in each of these hospitals, we will have CT scans [available] so the quality of imaging will improve because at most of our hospitals we have been using X-rays and ultrasounds, so we will be complementing that by adding CT scans,” Dr Anthony said.

The Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony joined by the construction team at the site of the new Diamond Hospital. (Photo: Ministry of Health/ January 2, 2024)

The Health Minister is satisfied with the progress made thus far.

The other five hospitals will be built at Anna Regina, Region Two; De Kinderen (Tuschen was originally planned), Region Three; Enmore, Region Four; Bath, Region Five; and Skeldon, Region Six.

A new public hospital is being built at New Amsterdam along with the Paediatric and Maternal hospital at Ogle, East Coast Demerara, which will also have a special focus on heart disease treatment and cancer care.