Medical equipment provided by UNOPS and the Government of Japan to support care of COVID-19 patients

Six months after the signing of the agreement between UNOPS and the Government of Japan; Guyana became the first country to receive 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 . This project is funded by the Government of Japan and managed by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), with a total budget of USD 4.8 million.

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, which will complete the donation to Guyana (autoclaves, oximeters, ambulances, diagnostic imaging mobile, ECG recorders and additional probes) is expected to arrive in Guyana 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.

In the coming months, more than 40 different types of medical equipment will continue to arrive in four countries, according to the requests made by the health authorities of each country.

“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.