By Alva Solomon

THE Bartica Regional Hospital, currently being upgraded, is poised to become one of the leading medical facilities in the country.As Bartica was officially declared Guyana’s newest town on Saturday, a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and main operating theatre were commissioned at the hospital.

The neonatal facility was realised through partnership between the Government and the Guyana Help the Kids organization, a Canadian charity group.

Regional Health Officer (RHO), Dr Edward Sagala, said the two medical facilities are significant to the region as they will curtail the transfer of patients to the Coastland for treatment.

The addition of the two facilities at the hospital has also seen an increase in medical personnel with a range of medical specialists being added to that hospital’s roster.

At unveiling of the two facilities, Dr Sagala told a gathering, which included President David Granger and team of Cabinet officials, there are seven medical specialists currently operating at the institution.

First Lady Sandra Granger, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon; Public Health Minister Dr George Norton; Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan; Minister of Social Cohesion, Amna Ally; and Minister of Social Protection, Volda Lawrence, were on hand to witness the opening of the two facilities.

Dr Sagala said that, in less than eight months, the hospital’s team of practitioners climbed from four to 16; and of this total, seven are medical specialists. There is one dentist at the hospital.

“We have, for the first time in the history of this institution, medical specialists we never had,” a buoyant Dr Sagala told those gathered.

He said the Cuyuni/Mazaruni region is home to 22 medical practitioners in total, since there are also two doctors each at Kamarang and Issano, and one each at Waramadong and Imbaimadai.

He said the range of specialists at the facility include dermatologists, ear and throat specialists, cardiologist, obstetrician/gynaecologist, general surgeon, anaesthetist and paediatrician.

The Bartica Hospital has also opened a mental health clinic, and Dr Sagala noted its importance to the region. He said the clinic is a pilot initiative which is intended for replication in other parts of the country.

AMBITIOUS PLAN
“In the next year, we intend to become one of the best regional hospitals in the country,” Dr Sagala declared. He said medical authorities in the region are working to improve its health education/awareness programme, which will advance the health sector in the region.

Conversely, Dr Sagala said there is need for improvement in the attitudes of medical personnel, which he deemed a “serious problem”.

He promised that, over time, this will be given significant attention, as it would add to the general improvement in the region’s medical services.

Dr Narendra Singh, President of the Guyana Help the Kids organisation, noted that the neonatal facility is the sixth opened in the country. He said the first was opened at the Georgetown Public Hospital in 2012, and there are similar facilities at Linden and Suddie, among other areas.

The charity organisation’s aim is to decrease the neonatal and infant mortality rates in developing countries, particularly in Guyana.

Dr Singh said he perceives a bright future for health in Guyana. He noted that where paediatrics, and specifically babies, are concerned, time is of the essence. He implored the hospital to ensure that the neonatal facility is kept in its best possible shape.

Public Health Minister Dr George Norton noted in brief remarks that the national neonatal mortality rate has been decreasing, and he informed that for the month of April, there were only five such deaths. He said figures for 2015 indicate a seven per cent drop in mortality cases in babies at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

He expressed appreciation to the Guyana Help the Kids organisation, noting that, as part of its assistance programme, that body has donated to the Government Cdn $30,000 towards natal care.

President Granger told the gathering that the Government’s aim is to reduce infant mortality to zero.

“We want to aim at zero maternal deaths, not just a reduction. There should be no reason in 2016 for babies to die…we want to ensure that no resident must have to leave his or her region to get access to basic public services,” the President said.

He said that, ultimately, the Government would like to establish a National Maternity Hospital as part of it health-care plans.
The President said that since Bartica is the country’s newest town, it must possess all of the necessary resources to ensure that residents are provided with all of the services that they need.

Bartica was officially declared a town on Saturday, and the green-model town is set to capitalise on its new status, including in the area of medical care.