Guyana’s health care system has undergone a vast transformation in recent years and is steadily improving. The most recent positive development has been the establishment of a cardiac institute which is equipped to perform heart surgeries as well as the state of the art ophthalmology centre at Port Mourant in Bebrice.
We have indeed moved away from the days when there was a serious shortage of pharmaceuticals and medical personnel and run-down medical institutions.
However, one of the striking features of the process of health care development has been with respect to the decentralisation which has been facilitated by the establishment of several diagnostic centres across the rural communities thereby providing services which previously were unavailable and thus people had to travel to the central facilities in Georgetown to access them. This necessitated much travelling costs and other logistical difficulties. Even in very remote communities basic medical services can now be obtained through a network of health posts.
It should be recalled that one of the promises made by this government was to make quality health services available to all and it has been working persistently towards this objective.
On this note it is very pleasing to learn of the success story of the Region 6 health care system which was reported in our yesterday’s edition.
According to the report the system in Region 6 currently boasts a staffing component of forty-nine doctors and four dental surgeons. Some doctors are now tasked with the responsibilities of managing the health centres and health posts throughout the region. Dental services are now available at all the hospitals and some health centres. The approach to health care delivery that the Regional Health Authority in Region 6 has taken has catalysed a dynamic turn around in the provision of optimum quality health care to the Region.
The approach of the Authority is new and innovative and the ‘exceptional’ service provided by this re-structured system has resulted in all projected targets being surpassed, especially with the integration of all aspects of health, with particular focus on the practice of healthy lifestyles. The system currently boasts a staffing component of forty-nine doctors and four dental surgeons. Some doctors are now tasked with the responsibilities of managing the health centres and health posts throughout the region. Dental services are now available at all the hospitals and some health centres. The approach to health care delivery that the Authority in Region 6 has taken has catalysed a dynamic turn around in the provision of optimum quality health care to the Region.
The approach of the Authority is new and innovative and the ‘exceptional’ service provided by this re-structured system has resulted in all projected targets being surpassed, especially with the integration of all aspects of health, with particular focus on the practice of healthy lifestyles.
A very encouraging development according to the report was the medical outreaches. Home visits to patients who suffered fractures to hips and femurs and are immobilized in bed are done by the orthopaedic team, and medexes continue to visit Mara/Scepmod, Yakusari, Sandvoort and Brothers on a regular basis, while a doctor is assigned to Yakusari.  A medical team visits Mara/Scepmod and Brothers on a monthly basis, starting in the last quarter of 2008 and, in 2009, at least once every month, there was an outreach to the area.
This is most commendable and should be emulated by the health authorities of other regions.
These are indeed impressive developments and augurs well for the people of Berbice.  It is also a testimony of the government’s commitment towards fulfilling a promise it made to the people of this country.
Of course we have to be forever grateful to the Government and people of Cuba for their generous assistance in improving the delivery of health care across this country, as well as the Cuban medical brigade which is providing yeoman service here.
However, as the World Bank noted decentralisation creates major challenges for health service provision. Active involvement of health managers in the decentralisation design, clear national resource allocation standards and health service norms, and an ongoing system for monitoring are essential for guarding equity and quality and for improving efficiency.