US$ 791,000 in medical equipment were donated by Japan to Guyana

Guyana, April 5th, 2022 - The Ministry of Health of Guyana received several pieces of medical equipment including four ambulances Land Cruiser, four mobile x-ray machines, five autoclaves of 50 liters, 20 EGG recorders, 39 handheld pulse oximeters and eight portable ultrasound scanning systems as part of the donation of US$ 791,000 in November of 2020 from the Government of Japan to attend the patients affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) managed during that time to now, the procurement of 80 medical equipment. 

To commemorate the successful completion of the project, a final handover ceremony was held on April 5th with the attendance of Dr. Frank Anthony, Minister of Health of Guyana, Mr. Yasuhiko Kamada, Counsellor, Embassy of Japan in Trinidad and Tobago, Mrs. Yesim Oruc, United Nations Resident Coordinator Guyana, and Mr. Alejandro Rossi, Multi-Country Director, Costa Rica, Panama, English & Dutch spoken Caribbean.

“The Government and the people of Guyana, extend a heartfelt thanks to the Government and people of Japan for this timely donation. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the vulnerability of health systems around the world to respond to a crisis of such magnitude.  It has also demonstrated the altruistic nature of many countries, and that as a people, we can come together to support each other during a time of need. This donation of vehicles and medical equipment have strengthened service delivery at our Infectious Disease Hospital and several regional hospitals, which could not have been possible without your support” stated Honorable Dr. Frank Anthony, Minister of Health of Guyana.

The medical equipment will benefit more than nine thousand people in 13 hospitals in seven regions of Guyana.

One year after the signing of the agreement between UNOPS and the Government of Japan, Guyana became the first country to complete the process of procurement for medical equipment as part of the “Project for Enhancing the Healthcare System through the Provision of Medical Equipment” which includes four Caribbean countries as beneficiaries: Belize, Guyana, Suriname and Trinidad & Tobago. 

“The Government of Japan takes immense pride in this project, which has supported Guyana with the procurement of vital resources to battle the COVID-19 disease— a threat that has dramatically impacted global health, economies and nearly every other aspect of life over the past two years. We are very pleased to acknowledge the professional and capable execution of this important project by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and the Ministry of Health of Guyana over the past year, and look forward to continuing to strengthen the bonds of friendship between our two countries” remarked Mr. Yasuhiko Kamada, Counsellor, Embassy of Japan in Trinidad and Tobago.

This project is funded by the Government of Japan and managed by UNOPS, with a total budget of USD 4.8 million and more than 57 thousand beneficiaries.

“It is wonderful to see the collaborative work of UNOPS with PAHO/WHO and UNICEF in their work with the Ministry of Health in Guyana. I thank the Government of Japan for making that possible. UN agencies have continued to work seamlessly with the Ministry of Health through COVID-19; from vaccine delivery through COVAX, to strengthening cold chains; from training health care workers, to epidemiological surveillance. I thank Minister Anthony for his leadership in steering us and the country through this period. Going forward and getting back on track for the Sustainable Development Goals, I welcome this and other planned investments in health. This pandemic is not fully behind us; we have much to do ahead of us”, said Mrs. Yesim Oruc, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Guyana.

The first equipment arrived in Guyana in October 2021, less than 6 months after the agreement was signed, which is a short and effective term considering the global supply chain crisis caused by the pandemic. All donated equipment has a 2 year warranty and maintenance, and includes training for end users.

“This project has been 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.

The Project’s savings in the acquisition process reached overall 11% in regard to the initially estimated price of the equipment. Obtaining highly competitive prices and responding to the needs of each country, UNOPS was able to purchase additional pieces of medical equipment, expanding the scope of the donation from the Government of Japan.

In the near future, the final medical equipment will continue to arrive in Belize, Suriname and Trinidad & Tobago, as requested by the health authorities of each country.

For more information, please contact: 

Sandra Ramirez

Communications Officer

UNOPS Costa Rica

sandrarr@unops.org

Isabela Fraiz

Partnerships Assistant

UNOPS Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean

isabelaf@unops.org