– 200 people seen, 19 surgeries completed
DIRECTOR of Regional Health Services (RHS), Dr. Narine Singh, said the medical outreach during last week to Mabaruma, Region One (Barima/ Waini) was successful. Over 200 people were seen and a total of 19 surgeries were completed.
The surgical team includes both public and private practitioners and is part of a new initiative being undertaken by the Health Ministry, a roving specialised surgical team. According to Singh this is a strategic step that is taken to ensure that those areas receive every service available in the health sector.
This move is feasible undertaking since the specialised teams cannot be stationed at every centre that delivers health care, due to the size of the population and logistics.
“Roving surgical teams of highly trained people specialising in different areas will serve the hinterland communities, in particular, very well,” he said.
This was the fourth visit made to Mabaruma by a roving team.
In an invited comment, the Coordinator, Nurse Patricia Singh told the Guyana Chronicle that the next outreach is scheduled for next month.
She explained that is it never the same team that visits since there is a group of approximately 47 volunteers, who rotate turns based on their availability.
The Coordinator pointed out that the team to Mabaruma was 12 strong and included an orthopedic surgeon, an internist, an obstetrician/ gynecologist, an optometrist, a refractionist and a theatre anesthetic nurse, among others.
Nurse Singh said the response from the people was very good and they were appreciative of the services being provided to them.
“There were two surgeries that were done for the first time, a total abdominal hysterectomy and hernia repairs and an abdominal myomectomy surgery,” she said.
Singh acknowledged that there was only one candidate, a child, whose surgery was postponed to next month because of failure to follow rules for a particular diet.
The Coordinator said the team’s efforts are a back up for regional health officials and a key area of support for the resident doctor.
“As long as there is a need we have to do what we can do to meet those needs,” she said.