– Director
DIRECTOR of Regional Health Services (RHS), Dr. Narine Singh has reported that the sector passed a “fairly god year’ in 2009 and said 2010 will see more advancementHe gave a region by region review, noting that each had its challenges but managed to overcome them and show significant accomplishments.

According to Singh:
* In Region One (Barima/Waini), the major success was making Mabaruma

Hospital, in North West District, operational. It has the capacity of a regional facility and, while not fully staffed, technical persons should soon fill that gap.

After having a medex serve as Regional Health Officer (RHO) for sometime, a Cuban trained Guyanese, Dr. Avinash Richards was appointed to the post.

Mr. Sewnand Neusai was also named Chief Executive Officer, with responsibility for the administrative aspects of health care in the Region.

The regional system was also bolstered by the assignment of a doctor to Kumaka District Hospital; Cuban doctors have also been posted at Moruka and Port Kaituma and one is expected at Matthews Ridge.

Three medexes have been identified for Kwebanna, Waramuri and Baramita, all communities with health posts in the Region.

Other successful undertakings include the surgical outreaches in the latter part of September and early October and ‘Operation Baramita’, an Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) funded initiative to improve health care in that area, where, previously, a medex visited every two weeks.

* In Region Two (Pomeroon Supenaam), the contribution of Suddie Diagnostic Centre has been significant and 11 Cuban trained Guyanese doctors are there.
Some of them have been assigned to the major health centres in the region, which were previously manned by medexes.

Kabakaburi, which was without a health worker for sometime, now has a resident midwife and a medex is soon to be posted there.

* In Region Three (West Demerara/Essequibo Islands), the major accomplishment was the development of five health care facilities, at Tuschen and Bell West health centres, Goed Fortuin and Zeelugt health posts and De Kindren Health Centre, which, before now, was overseen by Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuco).

Apart from infrastructure works, some level of capacity building was done and there have been changes in management and administration of health care delivery in the Region.

With regard to built capacity, full time Cuban doctors were assigned to Leguan and Wakenaam health centres but there have been setbacks, primarily with staffing, as there are shortages of nurses and midwives and hiccups to be resolved at West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH).

Leonora Diagnostic Centre is functioning but staff problems have caused the Maternal and Child Health Unit not to be fully operational. There are doctors but no midwives for that clinic but some will finish training shortly.

SUCCESS STORY
* Region Four (Demerara/Mahaica) has generally seen improvements and Diamond Diagnostic Centre is a success story, taking on a bigger role in delivery of health care, due to the fact that the population of East Bank Demerara has increased.

However, there are staff difficulties there, too, with the need for additional nurses, which will be addressed when nursing students complete their studies this year.

In the meantime, Cuban trained Guyanese doctors are not only at Diamond but at health centres along East Bank Demerara and some at East Coast Demerara.

Guyanese doctors will take up positions at C.C. Nicholson Hospital, where rehabilitation and extension works are almost complete.

* In Georgetown, the new East La Penitence Health Centre has been established and all health centres have been rehabilitated and each staffed by a medex and a doctor, either Cuban or Guyanese.

The capital city also hosted the 2009 Regional Health Officers (RHO) meetings and was the base for coordinating efforts by foreign medical teams.

* In Region Five ( Mahaica/Berbice), Mahaicony Diagnostic Centre was a main point of focus in 2009 because it did not perform as expected but action is being taken to ensure it operates at full capacity.

Other efforts to bolster capability included rehabilitation of health centres and the introduction of an incinerator at Fort Wellington Hospital to dispose of bio-medical waste appropriately.

* In Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne), it is hoped that the many challenges will be resolved in 2010.

* In Region Seven (Cuyuni/Mazaruni), Bartica Hospital has the support of two Cuban doctors who have been stationed there for the most part of 2009. They did a lot of work, including outreaches.

* In Region Eight (Potaro/Siparuni), the highlight was improvements at Mahdia Hospital, with the installation of a generator to assure regular power supply and an x-ray unit.

In addition, there were extensions to the out-patient facility, the assignment of a full time doctor and Cuban trained Guyanese, Dr. Butakhan Wilson has taken up the position of RHO, replacing the medex who had been there for eight years.

Neighbouring Paramakatoi has a full time medex.

HIGH POINT
* In Region Nine (Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo), Lethem Hospital was the high point for the health sector in 2009. Three doctors, two Cubans and a Cuban trained Guyanese are stationed there, assisted by a foreign volunteer doctor but technical staff is the primary challenge there.

That, as well as the placement of doctors in the communities of Annai, Aishalton and Karasabai will b e addressed this year.

There will be a roving surgical team in that area, because there is no resident surgeon as he would need the support of an anaesthesiologist, not available until students in training become specialists.

* In Region 10 (Upper Demerara/Berbice), the newly commissioned Linden Hospital Complex is the biggest accomplishment that has advanced capacity tremendously.

Three Cuban trained Guyanese doctors and another two sent to Wismar are supported by a surgical resident.

A Chinese medical team, of two anaesthesiologists, three intensive care unit nurses, one surgeon and one obstetriciaon/gynaecologist are also in support and a full time Cuban trained Guyanese will be stationed at Kwakwani.

This year, Singh said efforts will continue to bolster the human resource capacity in all regions, an endeavour that would see graduates from various training programmes being absorbed into the system.

He said specialised enhanced training will be conducted for new doctors and medexes in the areas of mental health, HIV and tuberculosis, among others.

“We will continue rehabilitation works in the regions, at facilities like the WDRH and Skeldon Hospital,” Singh said.