By Ravin Singh
IT IS often said that a nation’s health is that nation’s wealth and using this as a mantra, the Technocrat Empowerment Group of the People’s National Congress (PNC), on Saturday provided medical services to the community of Albouystown where close to 500 persons benefitted. The outreach commenced relatively slow, given the light showers which prevailed over the City earlier in the day. Nevertheless, the community, which has not benefitted from activities of this nature responded well as the day progressed.

According to Coordinator, Dr Royston Adonis, it was the first venture in the medical field for the group.
“Our objective is to target the depressed areas and that is why we chose Albouystown. The next area will be Tiger Bay and then other parts of the country,” he said.
Armed with medical equipment, supplies and a few dozen doctors, nurses and other specialists in the medical field, the team operated from booths which were sheltered by large tents.
Dr Adonis explained that there was a dental booth where a wide range of dental services, including the cleaning of teeth was done. Then there was also an ophthalmology booth where eye testing was done. This was complemented with the provision of prescribed spectacles.
There was also a mental health booth with trained professionals, since, according to Dr Adonis, “there is a mental health crisis in Guyana”.
There was also an infectious disease booth where people received treatment for infections such as malaria, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases. The same booth, according to the coordinator, also provided treated mosquito nets for patients who were suspected of having malaria.
In an attempt to address as much health related issues as possible, there was a designated booth to address chronic illness.
This was described as the “largest booth,” consisting of technicians, doctors and nurses, who did Random Blood Testing (RBT), blood pressure testing and other related tests.
In addition, doctors treated patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension and other conditions, while patients were also sensitised on how to deal with and monitor their conditions.
With the blood bank recording a shortage as was reported, Dr Adonis noted that the group sought to assist in this process by setting up a booth to facilitate a blood drive.
“This proved successful as persons did in fact come and donate blood,” he said.
HAMPERS
With the community being described as a “depressed” one, given the level of poverty and crime recorded over the years, the coordinator revealed that a number of hampers were also distributed to mothers given that Mothers’ Day was the following day (Sunday).
He also noted that a technocrat booth was set up and flyers and brochures were distributed to inform people about the group and the work it has been engaged in over the years.
As it relates to the response, Dr Adonis said that the team had expected about 500 persons to benefit, however, estimated 400+ had benefitted.
According to him, most of the people who benefitted from the services seem to have been affected with dental conditions. “Also a lot of persons came with eye conditions so the ophthalmology booth was also crowded,” he added.
And one such person was Rhonda Nichols, who had her teeth cleaned and eyes tested. She told this publication that the idea of a medical outreach in Albouystown was a “good thing” since people in the area are not fortunate enough to afford these medical services.
“At least here people can come and check their eyes and know if they need to wear glasses and they could get their medication for cold and whatever. I brought two of my children and I went and clean my teeth and checked my eye,” a happy Nichols said.

She also recommended that the event be replicated in other parts of Albouystown, perhaps every three months, given the busy schedule of medical practitioners.
“A lot of people can’t afford to go to the hospital it would really help the community. Also when they come they don’t have to stay one place, they could move to another location in Albouystown the next time they come. That way they could reach more people,” she said.
And while Guyana continues to grapple with a high suicide rate, Victor Vanbuckley, a psychiatric specialist told this publication that approximately 15 persons benefitted from the mental health services which were offered at the outreach.
Armed with a domestic violence specialist and a behavioural specialist, Vanbuckley explained that the mental health issues ranged from depression, to suicide to bullyism among children, particularly in schools.
EARLY INTERVENTION
With this situation, he noted that the issue of mental health should first be targeted from the level of school since a lot of mental health issues develop from here.
“That is where some amount of dysfunction starts. Some of the children were even complaining about bullyism in schools and when we enquired what actions they took, they said complained to teachers who did nothing to solve the issue. And these can lead to further complications relative to mental health,” the psychiatric specialist said.
He explained that people need to know that help is available.
“When someone commits suicide, 10-12 other persons are also affected and we need to help those persons also. So there is a lot of work to be done and we are capable of getting it done,” he added.
Cognisant of the fact that environment plays a role in mental health, he advocated for activities such as cleaning-up of communities and the provision of recreational facilities, which, according to him, goes a far way in helping to solve mental health issues.
“There is something called milieu therapy and this is where you manipulate the environment to have a positive impact on one’s behaviour and so by cleaning up the area and providing recreational facilities is the way to go. And this must be replicated in other communities,” Vanbuckley noted.