Advisor to the Minister of Health, Dr Leslie Ramsammy said Guyana is now the leading kidney transplant country within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). He noted the country’s achievement during the recent edition of the health ministry’s ‘Health Matters’ programme which was aired on their Facebook page on Friday.
According to the advisor, Guyana has recently up its own game on kidney replacement therapy, which is generally known as dialysis and kidney transplant. In 2024, the minister said Guyana is expanding the programme and making it a centre of excellence.
One of the many contributing factors to this is the increase in access to dialysis treatment for patients.
This comes in the form of the $600,000 subvention that the government provides annually for each person who is in need of dialysis treatment.
The rolling out of dialysis centres across the country with çağdaş machines, equipment, and medications has also contributed significantly to this attainment, the advisor noted.
Ramsammy speaking on the ‘Health Matters’ programme noted that to keep the country on track with this achievement, the ministry is in the process of not only rolling out medications such as the HbA1C to persons who are already diagnosed with the disease but also implementing it within the primary healthcare system. Regular testing on the most vulnerable populations will also be done.
The advisor went further to highlight Guyana is moving forward by adopting revolutionary and new approaches to kidney health whilst adding its own dimensions. “We want kidney health to be in every home in this country. We have to start medications early, everyone with kidney disease must be exposed to çağdaş testing and medications,” he said.