At EU funded workshop…
MINISTER of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, said neglected areas including disability should be given more attention and, in line with this trajectory, early identification of afflicted children and developmental delay was given a platform. He spoke at a stakeholders workshop, hosted in Regency Suites Hotel, Hadfield Street, Georgetown on Thursday where about 50 participants looked at the development of a proposal to identify, early, children up to three-years-old.
It was a continuation of efforts by the Ministry of Health, with support from Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO) and funding from the European Union (EU), to build on the work, started last year, to develop a more coordinated, collaborative and monitored approach to early identification of disability.
The forum saw representation of  the Health Ministry’s Rehabilitation Services, as well as the Maternal and Child Health Division and Regional Health Offices; Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre; Guyana Community Based Rehabilitation; Eye Care Guyana; Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) Paediatrics, Maternal and Child Health departments and the Nurses’ Office; the Ministries of Education and Human Services and Social Security Child Protection Department; National Commission on Disability; Municipal and Private Day Cares and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
VSO representative and Disability Advocacy Adviser, Ms. Sarah Jane Digby, said the ultimate aim of the seminar is to ensure that no one slips through the net, by improving the existing system.
“We are focused on ensuring that a comprehensive approach is taken towards early identification,” she reiterated.
Digby observed that Guyana has some level of identification but there is room for improvement to make sure children with disability and delayed development have the necessary support, through both medical interventions and education opportunities.
She said, in that way, afflicted children will be able to live full lives and be integrated into society.
Early Identification Adviser to the Ministry of Health, Ms. Maria Sheena Villareal said: “All Guyanese children deserve equal opportunities in life, including access to health services. Children living with disabilities are more likely to have better chances if their disabilities are identified and responded to as early as possible.”
With more than 50,000 people in Guyana living with a disability, the Health Ministry recognises the importance of detecting disabilities early in a child’s life to assure the best possible treatment and prevent further complications where possible.
The longer it takes to detect disability, the harder it is to manage, making it more difficult for medical professionals to intervene, successfully.