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SINCE the current administration took office in 1992, it has demonstrated an unbiased approach towards the provision and distribution of social and economic resources to its citizens. 
In continuing efforts to provide services for all, significant sums have been invested by the Administration to ensure that quality health care services are provided to its citizens, particularly, to ensure that those residing in hinterland areas have access.
“The process of developing the health care system and building the capacity that the ministry is doing is continuous…works are always ongoing …it is also a collaborative effort with the Ministries of Local Government and Amerindian Affairs to meet the needs of the communities,” Coordinator of the Indigenous Peoples Community, Regional Health Services, Michael Gouveia stated.
He explained that over the last five years, there have been many developmental moves to have health care delivered at a standard acceptable worldwide.
As a result of government’s valiant efforts, communities in Regions 1, 7, 8 and 9 can boast of having health posts, centres and regional hospitals that cater for their needs.
While significant sums were invested to construct a new regional guest house in Lethem, additional sums were also invested to rehabilitate and upgrade Regional Hospitals in Kamarang, Matthew’s Ridge (Pakera), Port Kaituma, Mabaruma and Bartica.
Additionally, areas such as Chinese Landing, Five Star and Yarakita in Region 1, Jawalla, Kurupung and Waramadong in Region 7, Katoonarib, Fair View and Pai Pang in Region 8, along with other far flung villages in Region 9, can boast of having access to health facilities with the establishment of health posts.
Baramita in Region 1 stands to benefit shortly from having its health centre upgraded to a hospital, as the population continues to increase due to the booming mining activities. This, along with the provision of better roads to the community, will see villagers having access to improved services and economic resources which will catapult their development forward.
“One of the major steps made is the continued training and development of doctors, nurses, medex and community health workers…it’s a big plus… five years ago many of our district hospitals did not have resident doctors…today this is very much so,” Gouveia said.
The Ministry of Health has embarked on an extensive and continuous training programme to ensure that adequately trained personnel can man these facilities.
“The ministry continues to train nurses, particularly midwives, and deploy them to the regions… we are not only training coastlanders, but we have been deliberately training persons with great focus being placed on hinterland, so that they can go back and serve their communities… in that way the transition into the community is much easier as coastlanders take a longer time to adopt to the challenges that come with living in a hinterland community,” Gouveia explained.
The continuous training of community health workers, who are considered as foot soldiers, because they are the first to make contact with the patients at the community level, has seen hundreds of such personnel being trained on a yearly basis.
“The idea of the programme is to have someone from the community, selected by the community, to be trained to work in the community,” Gouveia explained.
Recognising the importance of adequate training for these ‘foot soldiers’, some are trained in midwifery.
The ministry went further to train community health workers in microscopy, so they can read malaria smears and be able to treat this disease since it is indeed a challenge in the hinterland, given the huge developments occurring in the mining sector.
The administration has realised that training these persons in that particular area of skill helps to provide much needed services in selected villages, where malaria remains a constant threat. Areas such as Mahdia, Port Kaituma, and Five Star can boast of having trained personnel who can administer malaria smears and determine treatment.
As training and capacity building is important in the delivery of quality health care services, qualified hinterland students were granted scholarships to pursue studies in Cuba. Upon completion of their programme, they return to their respective communities and become heads of the facilities there, thereby offering skills to their people.
While training of personnel and having them placed at key areas in the hinterland are important, other specialist skills are needed to ensure a complete package is offered in the delivery of health care services.
To this end, government embarked on a public/private partnership to establish a roving surgical outreach programme which travels into far flung communities to provide services such as orthopedics, gynaecology and general surgery.
This initiative brings significant relief to patients in need of surgical services, as they do not have to spend large sums of money to travel to Georgetown to access these services.
To further boost services already being provided, the Ministry of Health has collaborated with the Ministries of Local Government and Regional Development and Amerindian Affairs, to establish the medivac programme. This receives support from an international medical team, RAMS, to evacuate, via aircraft, critical patients from hinterland locations.
In continuing efforts to provide services for all, significant sums have been invested by the Administration to ensure that quality health care services are provided to its citizens, particularly, to ensure that those residing in hinterland areas have access.“The process of developing the health care system and building the capacity that the ministry is doing is continuous…works are always ongoing …it is also a collaborative effort with the Ministries of Local Government and Amerindian Affairs to meet the needs of the communities,” Coordinator of the Indigenous Peoples Community, Regional Health Services, Michael Gouveia stated.
He explained that over the last five years, there have been many developmental moves to have health care delivered at a standard acceptable worldwide.
As a result of government’s valiant efforts, communities in Regions 1, 7, 8 and 9 can boast of having health posts, centres and regional hospitals that cater for their needs.
While significant sums were invested to construct a new regional guest house in Lethem, additional sums were also invested to rehabilitate and upgrade Regional Hospitals in Kamarang, Matthew’s Ridge (Pakera), Port Kaituma, Mabaruma and Bartica.
Additionally, areas such as Chinese Landing, Five Star and Yarakita in Region 1, Jawalla, Kurupung and Waramadong in Region 7, Katoonarib, Fair View and Pai Pang in Region 8, along with other far flung villages in Region 9, can boast of having access to health facilities with the establishment of health posts.
Baramita in Region 1 stands to benefit shortly from having its health centre upgraded to a hospital, as the population continues to increase due to the booming mining activities. This, along with the provision of better roads to the community, will see villagers having access to improved services and economic resources which will catapult their development forward.
“One of the major steps made is the continued training and development of doctors, nurses, medex and community health workers…it’s a big plus… five years ago many of our district hospitals did not have resident doctors…today this is very much so,” Gouveia said.
The Ministry of Health has embarked on an extensive and continuous training programme to ensure that adequately trained personnel can man these facilities.
“The ministry continues to train nurses, particularly midwives, and deploy them to the regions… we are not only training coastlanders, but we have been deliberately training persons with great focus being placed on hinterland, so that they can go back and serve their communities… in that way the transition into the community is much easier as coastlanders take a longer time to adopt to the challenges that come with living in a hinterland community,” Gouveia explained.
The continuous training of community health workers, who are considered as foot soldiers, because they are the first to make contact with the patients at the community level, has seen hundreds of such personnel being trained on a yearly basis.
“The idea of the programme is to have someone from the community, selected by the community, to be trained to work in the community,” Gouveia explained.
Recognising the importance of adequate training for these ‘foot soldiers’, some are trained in midwifery.
The ministry went further to train community health workers in microscopy, so they can read malaria smears and be able to treat this disease since it is indeed a challenge in the hinterland, given the huge developments occurring in the mining sector.
The administration has realised that training these persons in that particular area of skill helps to provide much needed services in selected villages, where malaria remains a constant threat. Areas such as Mahdia, Port Kaituma, and Five Star can boast of having trained personnel who can administer malaria smears and determine treatment.
As training and capacity building is important in the delivery of quality health care services, qualified hinterland students were granted scholarships to pursue studies in Cuba. Upon completion of their programme, they return to their respective communities and become heads of the facilities there, thereby offering skills to their people.
While training of personnel and having them placed at key areas in the hinterland are important, other specialist skills are needed to ensure a complete package is offered in the delivery of health care services.
To this end, government embarked on a public/private partnership to establish a roving surgical outreach programme which travels into far flung communities to provide services such as orthopedics, gynaecology and general surgery.
This initiative brings significant relief to patients in need of surgical services, as they do not have to spend large sums of money to travel to Georgetown to access these services.
To further boost services already being provided, the Ministry of Health has collaborated with the Ministries of Local Government and Regional Development and Amerindian Affairs, to establish the medivac programme. This receives support from an international medical team, RAMS, to evacuate, via aircraft, critical patients from hinterland locations.
