First delivery of medical equipment donated by Japan arrives in Guyana

Guyana, October 6th, 2021- Six months after the agreement between the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and the Government of Japan was signed, Guyana has become the first of four Caribbean countries to receive medical equipment as part of the “Project for Enhancing the Healthcare System through the Provision of Medical Equipment”. The project, which will also benefit Belize, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, is funded by the Government of Japan with a total budget of USD 4.8 million, and managed by UNOPS.  

This first delivery of equipment consists of four portable ultrasound scanning systems, which will help Guyana's hospitals render necessary care to COVID-19 patients.

“The Government of Japan is pleased to be able to support Guyana’s public health system through the provision of this equipment in collaboration with UNOPS, and welcomes this project as an opportunity to further strengthen the existing bonds of friendship and cooperation enjoyed between our two countries.” said His Excellency Hon. Ambassador of Japan to the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago, Tatsuo Hirayama.

The remaining medical equipment to be donated to Guyana (autoclaves, oximeters, ambulances, diagnostic imaging mobile, ECG recorders and additional probes), is expected to arrive in the country between October and November 2021.

“The Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana is honored to be chosen to participate in this initiative and commends the Government of Japan for its leadership and vision in realizing this offer. The COVID-19 Pandemic has undermined our nation’s health and has placed enormous pressure on both the public and health care systems in Guyana. Due to the Delta variant, we have recorded an upsurge in our daily active cases and the number of deaths than the previous months. This donation through the Government of Japan is very timely and will definitely increase our current capacity at a national and regional level. As the Minister of Health, I remain thankful to Japan’s Ambassador and the Director of UNOPS for their continued support to our nation as we continue to fight this dreadful disease” stated The Honourable Dr. Frank Anthony, Minister of Health of Guyana.

More than 40 different types of medical equipment will be delivered to the four recipient Caribbean countries in this project in accordance with requests made by the health authorities in these countries.  

“This project is managed by UNOPS in a comprehensive manner, safeguarding the procurement and delivery process while strictly adhering to the requirements of the health authorities of Guyana as well as of each of the beneficiary countries; hence ensuring the highest quality, transparency and performance of the economic resources provided by the Government of Japan, to leave no one behind, in full alignment with the principles of fair public management”, explained Mr. Alejandro Rossi, Director of the UNOPS Multi-Country Office for the English & Dutch Caribbean, Costa Rica and Panamá.

For more information on this project and the work of UNOPS in Latin America and the Caribbean, please contact:

Sandra Ramirez

Communications Officer

UNOPS Costa Rica

sandrarr@unops.org

Isabela Fraiz

Partnerships Assistant

LCR Office

isabelaf@unops.org