HEALTH Minister Dr. Bheri Ramsaran has reminded residents of East Bank Berbice that they have, in their neighbourhood, health centres which are currently under-utilised.
He told them so when responding to several complaints about extended waiting periods to access services at the New Amsterdam Hospital.

“You get a simple headache or just some fever and you got to sit down and wait for, sometimes, four hours when you go to the New Amsterdam Hospital,” a villager recounted to the minister, during his visit to Sisters Village on Sunday.
While Ramsaran acknowledged that the management capability at the regional health institution needs to be improved, he noted that “persons are not utilising the services offered at health centres.”
However, the minister opined that citizens recognise the health centres as another facility which offers pre and ante-natal services to women and children only.
“But, it is not so, you can get full medical care at the health centre and, if there are intricacies, then persons will be referred,” he observed.
In an effort to stem the flow of persons waiting to access health care services at the New Amsterdam Hospital, the minister has envisioned having a centre within the institution’s compound which would allow doctors to be focused on the more serious cases.
He explained that the health centres are managed by a qualified medic, although doctors make periodic visits.
In addition, the services of the health care facilities across the country will be further boosted by year-end after 24 medics would have completed their training .