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By Sharmain GraingerFinancing the delivery of health care within the public health sector has attracted $23.2 billion or 10.5 percent of the 2015 national budget.  This announcement was yesterday made by Minister of Finance, Mr Winston Jordan, when he presented a $221 billion budget to the National Assembly.Last year’s $220 billion budget saw 21.5 billion being allocated to the health sector.With a focus on ‘Universal Health Coverage for the Wellness of the Nation’, Minister Jordan stressed that the allocation for the health sector is one that reflects that “our Government is unwavering in its commitment to ensuring that the people of Guyana are among the healthiest in the Caribbean and the Americas.”He informed that a life cycle approach to addressing the health of men, women and children will in fact serve to guide Government’s strategic and programmatic focus in the sector.The Minister, moreover, spoke of plans to have the public health infrastructure and delivery systems be remodelled to focus on prevention and promotion of wellness for the population with a view of achieving and maintaining a good life.He continued by informing that Government will seek to invest significantly in the health of people to realise the successful implementation of Health Vision 2020.In fact he disclosed that “strategic plans for programmatic areas within the health sector will inform our actions over the next five years and emphasis will be placed on reducing health inequalities, expanding of primary health care, arresting non-communicable diseases (NCDs), eliminating maternal and infant mortality and providing universal health coverage.”EVIDENCE-BASED APPROACHAs part of Government’s effort to improve the health care, Minister Jordan conveyed that the Presidential Commission on the Prevention and Control of NCDs will be reinvigorated with a revised terms of reference and newly-appointed commissioners who will advance the national focus on addressing NCDs in a more comprehensive and equitable manner across the geographic expanse of the country.To this end, the Minister disclosed that $81.2 million has been budgeted for the execution of the STEP-wise Approach to Chronic Disease Risk Factor Surveillance (STEPS) survey which will collect, analyse and disseminate data related to chronic diseases risk factors. This tactic, according to the Minister, is to understandably cater to a more evidence-based approach.“I wish to charge all Guyanese to adopt more active and healthy lifestyles that will contribute significantly to their own health and wellness,” said the Minister, as he shared the notion that no woman should die during childbirth. In fact, he emphasised that Government is hopeful that by 2020 local women will be able to boast of national patient-friendly care facilities and mothers and babies will be safe from preventable deaths.In this regard, Government will devote more resources towards the expansion, rehabilitation, maintenance and equipping of maternal and child health facilities countrywide, Minister Jordan added.IMPROVING GPHC’S CAPACITYHis presentation saw him revealing too that over $133.1 million will be spent on the expansion of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) maternity unit this year, thereby increasing that facility’s bed capacity by 50 beds. This year’s allocation will facilitate the purchase of equipment, with the aim of increasing the quality of service being offered at the institution’s maternal and child care facility, according to Minister Jordan.He also announced that works will continue at the maternity waiting homes in Lethem and Bartica.SPECIALIST CAREThe importance of specialists to cater to health care needs was also stressed by the Finance Minister.“We will frontally address the dearth of specialists in our health care system. The strategic direction will be threefold,” said the Minister as he spoke of intentions to expand the local post graduate programmes, even as efforts are made to source specialist training abroad.Further, Minister Jordan said that efforts will be made to import specialist skills to build local capacity.“Our Government considers the presence of specialists critical to creating strengthened technical capability to deliver quality health care,Cheap Air Max Tn,” said the Minister, who noted that while “our national post graduate programme has made progress in many areas,China Jerseys, there remains a need to increase the complement of medical professionals in neuropsychiatry,Wholesale NFL Jerseys, psychology, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, physiotherapy and pathology.”Added to this, the Minister said that efforts will be directed to addressing areas where there is a complete absence of critical skills, including cardiac surgery,Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale, haematology, neonatology, geriatric medicine and gerontology, and sports medicine.He made reference to the health sector’s partnership with the International Children’s Heart Foundation through which benefits were realised, ranging from upgrades at the country’s referral hospital – GPHC – and training for medical personnel, while the Foundation performed complicated cardiac surgeries on children.TACKLING SUICIDEEven as Government seeks to give keen attention to improving the delivery of health care, it has plans to tackle the issue of suicide. According to Minister Jordan, far too many Guyanese have viewed suicide as an option,Cheap Basketball Jerseys, a state of affairs that must not continue.He pointed out that the mental health and well being of individuals begin from childhood and hence the Public Health, Education and Social Protection Ministries will collaborate and work with families to determine the causes and find solutions to prevent this scourge.FOCUS ON THE ELDERLYThe importance of focusing on the elderly was also underscored by the Finance Minister in his lengthy presentation. According to him,Cheap MLB Jerseys, addressing the cost burden of health care services borne by the elderly and ensuring that their dignity remains intact during care and treatment will be a priority of Government. In addition to the support under social protection, an elder home care programme will be explored, said the Minister, as he disclosed that this move is aimed at providing support to older persons in managing their health care while reducing the cost burden to both the elderly and the national health system.Altogether, these systematic interventions, within the context of Health Vision 2020, will redound to the improved health care for every man, woman and child across our country, the Minister concluded.