— as part of plan to boost productivity

AS THE Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) forges ahead with an aggressive plan for 2018, the Regional Health Officer, Dr. Quincy Jones said there will be an increase in training opportunities for medical professionals in the region.
According to a press statement from the regional administration, Dr. Jones said the increase in training forms part of the RDC’s vision of further strengthening and improving the effectiveness of medical personnel working at the various health centres throughout Region Four, and ensuring that patients can be attended to effectively.

“Since assuming the office of Regional Health Officer (RHO), it has been part of my overall vision and mandate to increase training, as with improved and increased training there will certainly be an overall improvement in the healthcare that is given to the general public,” he said.

It was noted that a number of persons travel from across the region to seek medical attention at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and the Diamond Hospital but, Dr Jones believes that in many of the circumstances the services that are being sought could be offered by the health centres in the respective ir communities.

“You have situations whereby persons go to either GPHC or Diamond Hospital for services that they could have received at their health centres, and as such, they are forced to wait for long hours because of the immense pressures on the medical personnel at these two hospitals.

“However, we are seeking to bring our medical personnel at the various health centres up to par and to ensure that they are trained effectively in a number of areas and ways, thus ensuring that they can render some of the services that [persons] are seeking elsewhere,” he said.

Regional Executive Officer of Region Four, Pauline Lucas, is also of the view that once persons are trained there will be an increase in the productivity at all health centres.
Both the REO and RHO have given the assurance that persons seeking services at various health centres in the region will receive improved services. Dr. Jones said he will continue to meet with medical personnel at all level to ensure that they stay in line.

“It’s no secret that the general public has concerns over the health care services that they receive from the government-run institutions, thus resulting in some seeking private services, but I want to assure all that, we, within the region,with the RDC’s support, are working towards a holistic development,” he said.

Dr. Jones said while they have already completed several training programmes for the year, there are quite a number of additional training programmes that will be implemented.