Guyana has embarked on an ambitious digital healthcare transformation with the formal inauguration of the Guyana Digital Health Training Institute (GDHTI), a pioneering initiative designed to cultivate a new generation of health technology professionals. The $5 million project, unveiled on December 2, 2025, aims to train approximately 250 students over the next three years in critical digital health disciplines.
The groundbreaking institute represents a collaborative effort between Guyana’s Ministry of Health and New York’s Mount Sinai Health System, with financial backing from the Greater Guyana Initiative—a GYD$20 billion sustainable development fund established by ExxonMobil and Hess. China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), holding a 25% stake in the Stabroek Block, contributed an additional $1.25 million to the project.
Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony emphasized the institute’s role in addressing technical challenges within Guyana’s healthcare infrastructure. “These students will help resolve technical problems that hospitals currently face, directly improving our existing systems,” Dr. Anthony stated during the launch ceremony.
Dr. Jeb Weisman, Director of Mount Sinai’s Arnhold Institute for Global Health, outlined the institute’s comprehensive mission to develop a digital health workforce capable of enhancing patient care, improving patient engagement, and advancing scientific research. “Our goals are to establish the Institute as an integral part of the Ministry of Health and build a robust skilled workforce of technicians, data scientists, trainers and support staff throughout the country,” Weisman explained.
The training curriculum will focus on three primary domains: user support health, data science, and digital systems management. Dr. Rachel Vreeman, Executive Director of Mount Sinai’s Guyana Health Initiative, highlighted the program’s potential to create new career pathways and establish “a long-term pipeline of expertise rooted right here in Guyana.”
ExxonMobil Guyana President Alistair Routledge positioned the initiative as a regional leadership endeavor, noting that GDHTI would enable Guyana to “lead the way in the Caribbean in bringing digital systems and data management to bear to improve health outcomes.”
The institute forms part of Guyana’s broader strategy to develop a connected, patient-centered, and data-driven healthcare network. Despite challenges with electricity connectivity affecting nearly 450 health facilities, the Ministry has been implementing solar power and alternative connectivity solutions. Currently, 81 centers across remote regions already provide telemedicine services, with plans to expand to 50 additional sites by early 2026.