–  now a popular calendar event
EVERY time I return to Berbice I feel my heart constrict in anticipation because there is nowhere like the place one was born and raised, and each time I return I see further transformational changes in every sector, indicating much planning and hard work on the part of the administration. Although it is apparent that there is still much more that needs to be addressed to meet all the needs of the people, one has to be blind not to see the major development in the Region, and without conscience not to acknowledge the hard work of the dedicated men and women who have made these changes that are considerably improving the lives and lifestyles of the people.
The Health sector in Region Six has the visionary leadership that is expanding healthcare demographics in that Region beyond its primary mandate, and the Chairman and CEO of the Berbice Regional Health Authority ( BHRA), respectively Mr. David Armogan and Dr. Vishwa Mahadeo, acknowledge that they are appreciably supported by Health Minister Dr. Leslie Ramsammy  and head of the Health Sector Development Unit (HSDU), Mr. Keith Burrowes.
At the BHRA third Health Fair, held in New Amsterdam yesterday, Dr. Mahadeo recognized the contributions of his hard-working and dedicated staff to all the successful initiatives undertaken by the BHRA, not least its outreach programmes.
Dr. Mahadeo says their motivation comes from their subject minister, who continues to throw challenges at them; and as they achieve every target he raises the bar.  Thanking the Minister for the challenges, the BHRA CEO said they have met and even surpassed these, and are awaiting his next challenge.
Acknowledging the support of many for the Health Fair, for the first time from some entities out of the Region, Dr. Mahadeo expressed appreciation to all the business organizations and individuals that have partnered the BRHA over the years, increasing to the extent where yesterday there were 47 booths at the massively successful Health Fair.  Both Drs Mahadeo and the Minister specially thanked Food for the Poor and GT&T for sustained support of the BRHA throughout its existence since its genesis in 2006, when legislation was passed and signed into law to establish Regional Health Authorities as semi-autonomous bodies and a pilot RHA was set up in Region 6 with a Board of Directors and a management team.
Dr. Mahadeo informed the audience that Food for the Poor wants to extend its support of the home visits programme to the Health Centre clinic days, and he extended a public invitation to that charitable organization to partner with the BRHA in all the latter organisation’s health promotional initiatives and clinic days at the 26 health centres and health posts and also the hospitals in Berbice.
Alluding to the challenge by the Minister of achieving 1,000 units of blood this year, Dr. Mahadeo guaranteed that Berbice is going to surpass that target.
Thanking Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), under the leadership of Mr. Michael Khan, for training provided to staff members of the Berbice Health Authority, Dr. Mahadeo said he has received a mandate to ensure that footcare and the VIA programme be taken to the primary healthcare level, so the training to facilitate this has commenced, again with the assistance of Mr. Michael Khan; and he is stipulating that the physiotherapy Department would have to be a part of the foot care programme.
Dr. Mahadeo used the opportunity to request the media to partner with the Authority with its educational programme, primarily targeting school-aged children.
He made mention of the special projects, which include the Sprinkles programme that has been instrumental in moving the nutritional status upwards, with the Basic Nutrition Programme witnessing the reduction of severe malnutrition in the region.
All mothers and eligible children received sprinkles as a supplement in a timely manner, the blood drive, of which he has indicated current and projected increases in units achieved, the HIV/AIDS programme, which has brought awareness and substantial deceleration of reported cases under the leadership of Ms Ramdeen.
A very young team spearheads the five special projects, all of which fall under the overarching authority of the HSDU.
Padmini Deonarine is the Sprinkles Programme Coordinator attached to the BRHA.  She says that these two types of iron supplements, which are given to infants and pregnant women, are distributed through all health centres in Region Six, even in Riverine communities, and that statistics show that all across Region Six the level of anaemia has dropped significantly in beneficiaries of these supplements.
Ronald Badshah, IT officer, says that he serves the MIS unit of the BRHA, which deploys the Guyana health information system.  This is a software used to capture patient data – currently at the New Amsterdam Hospital, and shortly to all health centres across Region Six.  He said that the BRHA website is at www.RHA6.gov.gy.
Dr. Aarti Sharma is currently coordinating the brainchild of Dr. Mahadeo – the extended home-based patient care programme, which entails a complete medical team visiting different communities each day to attend ill patients and geriatric citizens.
This allows family members to also receive general health care and advisories.  The unit has developed individualised patient plans for the several hundreds of patients on their programme and are currently having a census done to identify persons who need home visits by the outreach medical team.
Dr. Sharma says that each person is special to the team so they deal with each case on an individual basis.  Dr. Mahadeo says that the BRHA has the vision, mission, and goal, and the support of Mr. Burrowes who encourage and facilitate the development and implementation of the various programmes.  According to the CEO, equitable health care means not just provision of medical care at the health facilities, but also those who cannot, for any reason, access this care at the medical facilities.  This initiative is a holistic one that involves members and religious heads of communities, and Dr. Mahadeo says they are expanding the horizons to meet and conquer new challenges.
Mellissa Ramdeen is the Focal Point Officer of
the BRHA, in charge of the line ministries HIV/AIDS project.  She says her department has been promoting healthy lifestyles in Region Six, with the underlying objective of getting everyone in Region Six to be tested.  She said that in 2008, 2461 persons were tested for HIV, but their programmes was so successful that a record 11646 tests were done in 2009, with a target of achieving 12,000 tests this year.  According to Ramdeen this steep increase in numbers is because persons are now more comfortable and knowledgeable because of the various programmes of the Authority.
Ishwarie Singh, blood bank co-ordinator of Region Six, says that, for the year, the Authority has achieved 419 units of blood, and projects to exceed the Ministry’s target of 1,000 units by yearend.
Dr. Mahadeo exulted over the record of excellence achieved by the Maternal and Child Health programme, which he said has been copping the awards over the last three years and projects to do so again this year.  Referring to the National Psychiatric Hospital, Dr. Mahadeo said that a visit to the booth would show displays of exquisite items of art and craft that are done by the patients as part of the remedial programme.  He is planning to have a sale-of-work of the inmates’ products once each month in an attempt to boost their morale and generate income for their personal use.  Funding for this project is from the Ministry of Health in conjunction with the Authority.
Expressing regret that the physiotherapy department is not given due recognition, Dr. Mahadeo said that the Health Fair this year ensures that their hard work, especially in their home-based and schools programmes, is appreciated.
Regional Health Authorities (RHAs) were conceptualised to have the organizations run in a more professional and businesslike manner, where persons are held accountable for the delivery of health care.  Dr. Vishwa Mahadeo, yesterday informed the Chronicle that, based on the success of the RHA in Region six, other health authorities will be set up across the country. The Ministry of Health will then be the policy-making body that will manage health service provision in the country through the RHAs, which will be accountable to the Ministry for delivery of health care services.
The Berbice Regional Health Authority consists of five hundred and thirty-seven members of staff, who serve in several departments, among which are the administrative, medical, and ancillary departments. This organization is managed by a Board of Directors and a management team comprising of a Chief Executive Officer and four Directors.
The approach to health care delivery that the Authority in Region 6 has taken has catalysed a dynamic turnaround 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 Health Fair was conceptualized as an educational and awareness event and has proven extremely successful.  This year, the exhibits were displayed at 47 booths. According to one speaker, the Health Fair has become a calendar event – one of the premier health events in the country.