Bibi Waleema Bacchus-Ali¹, Saleem N Hamilah²* and Antonio M Esquinas³*

¹Respiratory Medicine and Allergy, Doctor-in-Charge, Asthma/COPD Clinic and Spirometry Lab, Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, and Program Lead, BSc. Respiratory Care, University of Guyana, Guyana
²Senior Respiratory Therapist, RC Lecturer, Deputy Head, Respiratory Care Department, Ibn Al-Nafis University, Yemen, Lecturer, Respiratory Care Department, 21 September University of Medical & Applied Sciences, Yemen
³Intensive Care Unit, Hospital Meseguer. NIV in ICU Group; IMIB- Biomedical Research Institute Pascual Parrilla–IMIB, Murcia, Spain

*Corresponding Author: Saleem N Hamilah, Senior Respiratory Therapist, RC Lecturer, Deputy Head, Respiratory Care Department, Ibn Al-Nafis University, Yemen, Lecturer, Respiratory Care Department, 21 September University of Medical & Applied Sciences, Yemen. Email address: SaleemHamilah@gmail.com.

Received: April 22, 2026; Published: May 31, 2026

Background: Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is a crucial, evidence-based intervention for patients with Chronic Respiratory Disease (CRD), yet a formal program is currently absent in Guyana. This study addresses this critical gap by assessing the health needs and demonstrating the feasibility of integrating a PR program at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Aims: The primary aims were to conduct a comprehensive health needs assessment (HNA) for a PR program among CRD patients at GPHC and to demonstrate the program's feasibility within the existing healthcare framework.

Methods: A two-pronged approach was employed, comprising a Health Needs Assessment (HNA) and a feasibility study. The HNA utilized data from the Global Access to Spirometry Project (GASP) database, analyzing records of 4621 CRD patients at GPHC. The feasibility study was conducted through a thorough literature review on PR efficacy and implementation, complemented by findings from the HNA and GASP data. Ethical approval was obtained for all aspects of the research.

Results: Analysis of 4621 CRD patient records revealed a significant burden of disease, with common conditions including COPD (853 patients), ILD (1336 patients), and mixed obstructive/restrictive lung disease (463 patients). The predominant symptom burden was breathlessness, alongside chronic fatigue, anxiety/depression, and chronic cough. The literature review consistently demonstrated that PR significantly reduces symptom burden, improves exercise endurance, enhances psychological function and physical activity, and ultimately improves overall Quality of Life (QoL). Furthermore, PR has been shown to reduce healthcare costs by over 50%, and the HNA indicated greater than 95% acceptability among the target population.

Conclusion: The findings unequivocally highlight the urgent need for a PR service at GPHC, driven by significant patient symptom burden and a clear treatment gap. The study confirms that integrating a PR program is not only feasible and cost-effective but also promises substantial improvements in patient outcomes and a reduction in overall healthcare expenditures. This research provides a strong evidence base for the implementation of PR as a standard component of CRD management in Guyana.

Keywords: Pulmonary Rehabilitation; Chronic Respiratory Disease; Health Needs Assessment; Feasibility Study; Guyana; Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation

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Citation

Citation: Bibi Waleema Bacchus-Ali., et al. “Integration of a Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program to the Management of Patients with Chronic Respiratory Disease at Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation”. Acta Scientific Medical Sciences 10.6 (2026): 96–106.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2026 Bibi Waleema Bacchus-Ali., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.