MEMBERS of the Guyana Medical Relief Inc, (GMR Inc) a charitable organisation comprising of Guyanese living in America, over the past month constructed a $3M building in the compound of the Mahaicony Hospital and last Thursday handed it over to the administration free of cost, for use as a storage bond.The flat concrete 25 x 16 feet building will be used to store non-pharmaceutical supplies.
The gift was the latest given to the Mahaicony Hospital which had also received from GMR Inc. in the past, buildings to house a Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) clinic for testing of females for cervical cancer, the former X-Ray room, a mortuary, a dental waiting area as well as air shipments of pharmaceuticals, all free of cost.
The building was handed over to the Hospital by Chief Operating Officer of the GMR Inc., Mr. Sharir Chan during a brief ceremony attended by staffers of both the New Amsterdam and Mahaicony Hospitals.
Those present included Administrator of the New Amsterdam Hospital in Region 6 (East Berbice /Corentyne) and officials of the Regional Health Authority, Ms. Melissa Ramdin, Doctor-in-Charge of the Port Mourant Hospital, also in Region 6, Dr.V. Khirodar and representatives of the Mahaicony Hospital.
In brief remarks during the ceremony Mr. Chan disclosed that GMR Inc. is this year celebrating its 30th year as a charitable non-governmental and non-profit organisation of Guyanese based in Los Angeles, California.
He disclosed that the organisation has over the years partnered with other NGOs to provide medicines and medical supplies to various hospitals in Guyana, including those at Linden, Mahaicony, Suddie, New Amsterdam, Bartica, and in Georgetown including Davis Memorial and St Joseph’s Mercy Hospitals and hundreds of health centers.
During the Great flood of 2005-6 members of the GMR Inc. for example, Chan said, were instrumental in providing the country with an emergency air freight of doxycycline for use against the dreaded leptospyrosis.
The organisation has also over the years, provided supplies and equipment to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) on an ad hoc basis.
He estimated that the organisation has since its existence spent over US$50 million on medical supplies and equipment for Guyana and on construction of facilities to improve the health care capabilities of local institutions.
Ramdin observed that the GMR Inc. has played a tremendous role in providing support for health services in Region 5 (Mahaica /Berbice) and Region 6 and the country as a whole.
She, on behalf of the RHA, expressed gratitude to the charitable organisation for its support in the form of the most recent gift to the Mahaicony Hospital and for the many other occasions in which it had been responsive to the needs of the health care institutions in both Regions 5 and 6.
The handing over was done in the presence of Ward Sister in Charge of the Hospital, Ms. Muriel Murray, Pharmacy Assistant, Mr. Kumar Dass, Director of the Cuban Doctors, Dr. Pedro Luis, VIA Services Nurse, Armattie Singh-Ramtahal and Contractor Ramkarran Dass.
Chan told the gathering that this is the third VIA Clinic building being built in the country with funding from the GMR Inc.
The first one was built at Mahaicony Hospital Compound and the other in the Bartica Hospital compound last year.
He added: “But this one here at Charity, is our best by far in terms of construction since we have learnt from the two previously built.”
Dr. Khan noted that cervical cancer was a leading cause of death among sexually active women up to the age of 50 and as a result herself and staff were happy to get better accommodation for testing women and if necessary giving them the treatment which can save their lives.
“The key point in this clinic,” she said, “is to have a single visit approach; meaning that women come one day and they get everything done the same day because we don’t want to say you are positive, you will have to come back later,. We want to treat them right away because sometimes we send them away and they never come back….. we lose them.”
According to a release, Regional Chairman Parmanand Persaud said that the Regional Administration will work towards getting furniture and electricity for the facility before the end of the year.’
He joined with others present to express the gratitude of the Hospital, the Regional Democratic Council and the people of Charity and its environs, for the charitable gesture by the GMR Inc.
By Clifford Stanley