By Tiana Cole | HGP Nightly News |
The Ministry of Health has unveiled ambitious plans to significantly strengthen Guyana’s healthcare system, including establishing a national biobank, local pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturing, and a comprehensive overhaul of emergency medical services.
Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony said the initiatives form part of a broader strategy to modernise healthcare delivery, enhance medical research capacity, and improve emergency response nationwide.
Central to the plans is the creation of a national biobank to collect and store human tissue for research. According to Dr. Anthony, the facility will play a critical role in advancing scientific understanding of diseases, particularly cancer, and how they manifest within Guyana’s unique environment.
He explained that the biobank will enable researchers to conduct advanced studies that inform better diagnoses, treatment options, and long-term public health strategies tailored to the local population.
In addition to biobanking, the Health Minister revealed that the government is actively engaging regional and international partners to establish pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturing plants in Guyana. These facilities are expected to boost local production capacity, reduce reliance on imports, and improve access to essential medicines and vaccines.
Dr. Anthony also announced major reforms planned for the country’s emergency medical services (EMS). Over the next two to three years, a new, standardised EMS system will be rolled out across the public health sector.
Under the proposed reforms, ambulances will be standardised nationwide, and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) will receive training at multiple levels to ensure patients receive appropriate care during transit. The minister said ambulances will be strategically pre-positioned to improve response times significantly.
The upgraded EMS system will also integrate land and water ambulances and medical evacuation (medevac) services, creating a single, coordinated emergency response network capable of serving Guyana’s diverse geography.
Dr. Anthony noted that some elements of the new EMS framework are expected to be introduced as early as next year, with full implementation to follow over subsequent years. The system will ultimately be managed by a semi-autonomous authority to ensure efficiency, accountability, and sustainability.
The ministry believes these initiatives will position Guyana’s health sector for long-term resilience, improved patient outcomes, and greater self-sufficiency in medical research, manufacturing, and emergency care.
