– Health Minister
HEALTH Minister, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran stated yesterday afternoon that Health Ministry personnel and staffers of the CC Nicholson Hospital at Nabaclis, East Coast Demerara are ‘pained by the experience’, and will be looking into the report of the Stabroek News (SN), as the hospital has been successfully operating since it recommenced that activity in 2010.
The Health Minister was responding to an article in the June 25 edition of the Stabroek News captioned ‘Barber delivers baby in shop – Nabaclis Hospital closed’.
“The CC Nicholson Hospital has been upgraded… It has now been brought back to the level of a hospital, after monies would have been invested by the CC Nicholson Foundation, UK, and government,” the Health Minister said.
He explained that, over the past two years, the ministry has rehabilitated critical areas of that hospital.
“The Doctors’ Quarters (were) repaired…now two doctors live there… The Medex Quarters were up to a few months ago, and (were) occupied by a Medex/Midwife, who has since, with the arrival of the two doctors, been returned to the Essequibo to help that population with her skills… There is also an ambulance attached to the hospital, should there be a need to defer a patient,” Minister Ramsaran said.
He explained that the institution’s staffers have successfully executed their duties since operations recommenced.
“In 2009 there were 31 deliveries; 2010: 66 deliveries; 2011: 56 deliveries; and so far for 2012: 14 deliveries, all incident-free… Antenatal visits for 2009 (were) 137; 2010:106; 2011:129; 2012:70… On Saturday last, Dr. Breedy conceptualized and led a village health fair in the compound of the institution, where 15 VIA inspections were done; 20 units of blood were donated, and patrons benefited from a diabetic foot clinic,” Dr Ramsaran said.
He added that more nurses will shortly be deployed to the night shift with the objective of strengthening services provided by that institution.
The minister said that in his interaction with staffers of the institution, who are mostly female, it was ventilated that, at nights, the path leading to the institution is dark due to the absence of adequate street lights. This, he explained, is an issue he will sit with both the NDC and GPL to have resolved.