MINISTER within the Ministry of Health Dr. Karen Cummings, who has direct responsibility for regional health services, on Friday, toured the Maternity Ward of the Georgetown Public Hospital for a first-hand experience of what obtains in the department and has expressed appreciation for the work that is being done.Following her visit, the minister reminded the media that the primary focus of the department is to ensure that there are safe deliveries and to reduce infant mortality in keeping with the target set

out in the Millennium Development Goals.
Minister Cummings told the media she was convinced that based on the work she witnessed in the department that the doctors, nurses and other support staff do indeed work hard to ensure that their objectives within the maternity department are achieved.
According to the minister, she was especially concerned with the issue of overcrowding in the post-natal section of the ward, which sometimes sees the sharing of beds by patients. While expressing satisfaction that the department is adequately staffed, the minister is of the view that the space in which the health workers have to work is a bit too cramped.
She also spoke of the neonatal unit where she observed there needs to be improvement in infection control. To achieve this, Minister Cummings said that certain sections should be sealed to avoid cross contamination from part of the facility to another.
On the issue of neurologists, Dr. Cummings confirmed that there is none in the employ of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). According to the minister, while doctors are given the opportunity to travel to other countries and observe best practices, there is an urgent need for neurologists to be employed by the hospital and that is being looked at as a priority. The services of a neurologist may have to be acquired from outside Guyana, the minister added.

The minister informed the Guyana Chronicle that she believes the maternity ward is on track with its objectives and the Government of Guyana through the Ministry of Health, would be working to ensure that it provides the resources needed to improve the modus operandi of the facility.
June Cato, an instructor attached to the Maternity Ward and who was present during the minister’s visit, said that the visit was timely as the minister had an opportunity to see what the challenges in the department are and the developments which have taken place over the years.
Nurse Cato raised with the minister the GPHC’s idea of having fathers involved in the delivery of their babies. She, however, recognised that there are privacy issues associated with that at the facility.
Additionally, for that to be possible, prospective mothers would need to be isolated from others, whose spouses may not want to see their wives being exposed to other males.
Currently, the GPHC is extending its maternity ward and that project is expected to be completed by February, 2016. The senior nurse is very optimistic that once the extension of the facility comes on stream, the hospital administration and the Government, through the Ministry of Health, will embrace the idea of involving fathers in deliveries.
Among other areas of the maternity ward toured by the minister on Friday morning were the delivery room, the intensive care room, the waiting area and other critical sections of the department.

By Leroy Smith