OVER the past weeks there have been several volunteer teams in Guyana providing health care services to communities and, in a comment to the Guyana Chronicle, Health Minister Dr. Leslie Ramsammy said all outreach programmes help. “If we organise our outreach then we can get more from them. The outreach programmes add to what the public health sector offers,” he noted.
The Health Minister explained that, in terms of improving access, the outreach teams play an important role.
However, Ramsammy maintained that apart from the specialised services, the other services being offered are part of the routine services made available by the public health sector.
The minister said his view is that some of the skilled persons, who are part of the outreach teams, might be more useful if they partner with the health care delivery institutions to facilitate a transfer of skills.
The Health Minister pointed out that some areas of concern with outreach teams, primary of which is the use of certain medications.
“We have to make sure that the outreach teams use the same medicine than we do because when they leave there might be a problem. Sometimes they change people’s medication,” he said.
Ramsammy added too partnerships can prove more beneficial in situations where the need is surgery for heart patients.
“Working together we can help more…these heart patients still end up at the Ministry,” he said.
Ramsammy stressed that it is important for the teams coming into Guyana to not “jump the gun” and overstep their line.
The most recent outreach team to Guyana was the Guyana Watch here for the 18th consecutive year.
Close to 3,000 persons were seen at six clinics across the country and approximately 20 children are expected to be evaluated for heart surgery in the United States of America.
Guyana Watch Inc. is a charitable non-profit humanitarian organization which was established in 1992. Its main mission has been centered on reaching out to communities that need medical assistance, health care and in the areas of education.