–to also render number of new services

A NUMBER of new services have been added to the Albouystown Health Centre, with doctors and nurses on site each day, as opposed to previously when the facility was opened only on selected days during the week.

Public Relations Officer Debra Lewis told the Guyana Chronicle on Friday that the intention is to equip the facility with all the services, so that residents need not go to the Georgetown hospital.

As opposed to opening only three days a week in the past, Lewis said the centre is now open daily, between 08:00hrs and 16:30hrs.
The Maternal and Child Welfare Services Department of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) is responsible for managing three health centres, these being the Dorothy Bailey, Albouystown-Charlestown, and Festival City facilities.

The additional services at Albouystown include a chronic diseases clinic, minor suturing, voluntary counselling and testing, visual inspection of the cervix (VIA), dental health, daily dressing of wounds, and the provision of pharmaceutical services.
Over a three-month period, the council will be monitoring the quality of services being provided, and how residents are utilising the facilities.

Based on the results of the assessment and the needs of the other health centres, a decision will be made to replicate the model at other health centres managed by the council.

“The staff complement would be enhanced to cater for the additional services to be provided,” Lewis said. “Hence, daily, two medical doctors, three nurses, one VCT Officer and other auxilliary staff would be on site.”

Traditionally, she said, the Albouystown Health Centre has the largest clinic population of the three centres managed by the council.