THE staff at the Orealla Health Centre along the Corentyne River is better equipped to deal with medical emergencies during evening hours at the facility with the acquisition of a new 60 Hz diesel generator from the Ministry of Health.

Since logging is the major economic activity in the Amerindian settlement, there are many cases of accidents and snake bites during the evening hours and the medical staff requires electricity in order to effectively address such cases.
On Friday, the Coastal Co-ordinator for Regional Health Services, medex Zeta Albert, presented the equipment to acting Region 6 Health Officer  Dr. Haripersaud Chand in the presence of the medex in charge of Orealla  Jessy Jessamy at the Skeldon Hospital Complex.
Jessamy, who is also a trained midwife, said that upon his recent assumption of duties at Orealla, he has observed a trend of emergency cases which amounted to 30 a week, along with the delivery of babies. He noted that a solar panel is in place at the health centre, but  the power from the panel is diverted to the refrigerator where vaccines are stored.
“We would normally get power from the Orealla Electricity Station but at times, there is no power and that makes it difficult for us to deal with emergency cases and stabilise patients at nights. Oftentimes we would transfer patients to the Skeldon Hospital for further attention. With the acquisition of this new generator, I hope that the residents of Orealla will have more confidence in our health care system, thanks to the Ministry of Health for acknowledging our need,” he declared.
Senior medex Albert, who made the presentation on behalf of the Ministry of Health, said that the generator was handed over on the basis of the request by the medical staff of the Orealla Health Centre and through the initiative of the ministry. She said that it is the responsibility of the Regional Health Authority to address the needs of institutions in Berbice but the Ministry of Health would normally address urgent needs of any medical complex.
“It is part of our role and responsibility to ensure that health care is delivered in a timely manner in the most efficient and effective way. Once the need arises, we will reach out and provide the necessary support to all hospitals and health centres throughout Guyana,” she said.
Dr. Chand told the Guyana Chronicle that in 2007, a solar panel was installed at the Orealla health facility but some critical parts went missing over time and recently a smaller panel was installed to ensure that power is provided to safeguard the storage facility at the institution.
“We are happy that the Ministry of Health has taken the initiative to provide Orealla with a generator. It has been a problem for the health facility there to have a constant supply of electricity. The centre not only provides health care for Orealla, it caters for the people of Siparuta village and to a lesser extent, the New River community. I am certain that our medical team will be better encouraged to serve the people in cases of emergency,” he said.
The riverine facility also received a supply of maternal pads for antenatal mothers and 13,000 calcium citrate tablets, courtesy of the Ministry of Health.