-as Regional Health Services continue outreaches
The Health Ministry’s Regional Health Services Department staged another medical outreach Friday, this time at the Cane Grove Health Centre, Region Four. Other outreaches were carried out at several communities, including Suddie, Region 2; Leguan and Wakenaam, Region 3; Ithaca, Region 5; and Buxton and Enmore, Region 4.

Thus far, approximately 625 persons have accessed and received care from the outreaches. And on May 24, another will be carried out at Number Nine Village.
These outreaches are in tandem with the ministry’s efforts to take health care services to the grassroot level and have proven to be very convenient for residents, particularly the elderly.
Administrative Assistant Cuba/Guyana Cooperation, Nandkishore Persaud stated that Friday’s outreach catered to many elderly persons from the community, and school children. He added that since the start of the outreaches, citizens’ response has been overwhelming.

Apart from the eye care service provided during the outreaches, Visual Inspection using Acetic Acid (VIA) screenings were added, and it is hoped that oral health will also be included.
He reported that during Friday’s outreach, 99 patients were seen, 18 of whom required eye surgery. Sixty-two women were screened for VIA.
The team is scheduled to return on June 4 to address school children and persons suffering from hypertension.
Persons requiring treatment and spectacles were referred to the Low Vision Centre in the compound of the Georgetown Public Hospital and the Mahaicony Hospital. Those needing surgery were referred to the National Ophthalmology Hospital in Port Mourant, Region Six.
These outreaches, facilitated by the Regional Health Services, have been a success and are expected to continuously expand throughout the country to accommodate various communities including those in the hinterland and riverine areas.

The provision of eye care services is critical in Guyana, and government has recognised this need and has implemented several programmes to ensure that Guyanese have access to quality eye care services.

This has resulted in the opening of the National Ophthalmology Hospital in 2009, which has been providing eye care services to Guyanese throughout the country, free of cost, and to persons from Guyana’s South American and Caribbean neighbours as well. (GINA)