Efforts are underway to establish Guyana’s first biobank to support genomic research and predictive medicine, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony told the 19th Guyana Medical Research Conference on Saturday.
According to a report posted by the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), Anthony also outlined plans to connect public healthcare services digitally within four to five years and provide approximately 300 physicians with access to an artificial intelligence-powered medical research platform.
The conference, held at the Pegasus Suites in Georgetown, brought together healthcare professionals, researchers and policymakers under the theme “The Evolution of Medicine Through Technological Advancements and Beyond the Stethoscope.”
Delivering the feature address, Anthony said healthcare must increasingly focus on predicting and preventing disease, detecting conditions early, tailoring treatment to individual patients and continuously monitoring their health.
He identified precision medicine as an important part of that transition, saying the traditional approach of applying the same treatment broadly must increasingly give way to interventions suited to individual patients.
The proposed biobank would support research in genomics and predictive medicine. GPHC’s account did not provide a timetable for its establishment, its cost or details of how it would operate.
Anthony also outlined the intended transition from paper-based public healthcare records to a digital system, with GPHC expected to lead the process.
Plans include electronic health records, digital laboratory systems and electronic medical imaging. The wider objective is to link hospitals, pharmacies, laboratories and other services, allowing the public healthcare system to operate in a fully digital environment within four to five years.
The minister said artificial intelligence was being introduced into clinical practice, including the interpretation of medical images. He announced plans to give approximately 300 physicians access to OpenEvidence, an AI-powered medical research platform intended to support clinical decision-making.
Anthony also highlighted the expansion of diagnostic services, including CT scanners at regional hospitals, additional MRI facilities, plans for PET scanning and expanded cardiac catheterisation services.
Telemedicine, telepathology and teleophthalmology were among the approaches he identified for improving access to specialist care, particularly in remote communities.
Discussions at the conference also covered advanced HIV care and antimicrobial resistance, alongside artificial intelligence, precision medicine and the application of research to clinical practice, GPHC said.
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