THE Berbice Regional Health Authority (BRHA) hosted a special reception, over the weekend, to honour all doctors in Region 6 (East Berbice/Corentyne).

The function, to mark World Doctors’ Day that was observed on July 1, was attended by 30 doctors in the BRHA boardroom at Fort Canje. The medical practitioners were all commended for their efforts in bettering the lives of those whom they have assisted over the years.
Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, who previously served as Minister of Health, addressed the the gathering and spoke of the challenges faced by the honorees and how they are dealt with successfully.
He told them: “I congratulate all the doctors in Guyana. Doctors get a lot of criticism. We know that, when we check the newspaper or if we do an audit of the television news, we make the news more in the negative than in the positive.”
Ramsammy also lauded the BRHA for leading the way with the initiative of honouring doctors and expressed the hope that, in 2014, it will be done countrywide.
He went on: “The efforts to celebrate the work of our doctors continue to lag behind and I believe that Guyana should take leadership in this regard. I know we can do it; we can lead the world.”
          
Far way
Ramsammy said Guyana has come a far way in producing more doctors and reforming the health sector, so it is imperative that their role be recognised year round.
“As a former Minister of Health, I take profound pride in acknowledging the work of our young doctors and our Cuban brothers and sisters. There are legitimate reasons, in this modern age, to celebrate your hard work,” he emphasised.
Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr. Shamdeo Persaud, in his remarks, said he has always admired the work of the BRHA and urged it to maintain the high standard of health care delivery.
He said he is very heartened also by the work of Dr. Mahadeo, who is always a great planner and ahead of the game.
“Our role, as doctors, has been changing as the world evolves and I must commend you for the linkage you have made with the community, the home based health care programme is just one example of your good work in this region,” Persaud stated.
He remarked that the medical profession has broadened, to the extent where doctors have to develop new ideas to relate to the public and the BRHA is, certainly, leading the way in this regard.
“People expect a whole lot from us and I would like to charge the doctors to broaden your horizon. Medicine is not about the books you have studied but, rather, the real person that sits in front of you and the emotion and the expectation that they bring,” Persaud posited.
The CMO stated that the 2014 observance of World Doctors’ Day will be done nationwide and he will be turning to the BRHA for support in the planning, to acknowledge not only medical and surgical doctors but also dentists.
Dr. Vanita Ali disclosed that, apart from the one-day activity, the BRHA conducted various programmes in the form of outreaches, as part of a month-long celebration of the hard work of doctors throughout the region and Guyana, by extension.

Healthy community                   
Former Chief Executive Officer of Guyana Telephone & Telegraph Company (GT&T), Mr. Yog Mahadeo also praised the doctors for their maintenance of a healthy community.
“You do carry a lot of burden on your shoulders and, from a non-medical perspective, I must say that you have done an excellent job and the world is indebted to you,” he declared.
The CEO of the BRHA, Dr. Vishwa Mahadeo announced that, in 2014, there will be a health crusade, among other training initiatives, to get non-medical citizens playing an integral role in its work.
“We are going to take batches of people, not necessarily students, but people who want to come on board. We are going to conduct a four-module training programme with them,” he revealed.
The first module will focus on vital signs; the second would deal with non-communicable diseases; the third with first aid and the fourth with blood donation and testing.
“We are looking at the programme and we are going to conduct training over a period of time, so that we can have a large number of persons within our sector to boost our human resources,” he offered.
Dr. Kester Persaud, who was nominated ‘Best Worker for an Institution’ at the previous reception, received a gift certificate for a trip for two to Lake Mainstay.