ROCKED by high suicide rates and other social ills, government will soon open a Cottage Hospital at Baramita–located in the Barima-Waini region.
Currently, the community is served by a health post. Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence recently visited the proposed new building which will house the proposed Baramita Cottage Hospital at Barama Line.

During her visit, she applauded the efforts of Regional Health Officer Dr. Cerdel McWatt and the staff who provide healthcare to residents. She reminded them that there was still more to be done to ensure villagers access the services being provided.

“With a catchment area this large, you have people coming from all over, you need to think big and there is a lot to be done here… But you are doing well,” the minister related to Dr. McWatt, who indicated that the health post functions on a 24-hour basis.

Dr. McWatt also took the opportunity to inform that when the facility relocates, there will be the addition of laboratory services, a vector control unit, an area for infectious diseases and a morgue. The Baramita Health Post, which is located next door to the Baramita Primary School alongside the village’s airstrip, offers a number of services to a large catchment area of several satellite villages. The Level One health post currently delivers Level Three healthcare services which are equivalent to that of a cottage hospital.

This facility temporarily houses patients on an in-patient basis until recovery or further referral. Its primary healthcare programme is also intact while essential drugs and medical supplies needed to support the chain of healthcare delivery are in stock. At the Baramita Health Post, delivery of newborns is done, along with registration of births.

There is a chronic disease clinic, maternal and child health clinics while home visits are also conducted. The facility’s staff complement includes two doctors, one medical extension officer (Medex), one community health worker and one regional monitoring and evaluation officer for vector control.

The Health Minister was accompanied by a team from the ministry, including acting Director of Regional and Clinical Services, Dr. Fiona Perry; Director of Primary Health Care, Dr. Ertenisa Hamilton; Nutritionist, Food Policy Division, Analese Roman-Benn; Director of Pharmacy, O’neil Atkins and adviser on health systems and services from PAHO/WHO, Dr. Paul Edwards.

Also joining the team was Baramita’s toshao, Sharmain Rambajue and deputy toshao, Ralph Hamilton, along with other district and village officials. PAHO/WHO Guyana has a vested interest in the improved delivery of health services in hinterland regions. The Guyana office is part of a technical cooperation with the Ministry of Public Health which oversees the general improvement in health outcomes in Baramita and its satellite villages. This effort became a reality in November 2015, and since then, significant strides have been made. (DPI)