RESIDENTS of Number 76 Village, Berbice, rejoiced as government commissioned a new $15 million health centre in their community.
For years, residents of Number 76 Village were forced to travel miles to access primary healthcare.

In an effort to remedy the situation, government commissioned the new health centre which will serve over 4,000 residents from both Number 76 and 77 villages.
“The mandate in public health is to ensure we have healthy people and healthy communities,” said Junior Minister of Public Health, Dr. Karen Cummings, in her remarks at the commissioning of the health centre on Thursday.

The minister believes that it is necessary for government to provide quality healthcare which is equitable, accessible and patient-centred.
Commissioning of the health centre is a critical step in government’s effort to ensure every community is served.

“What we are trying to do in primary healthcare is to keep it to the preventative stage,” said Minister Cummings, noting that it is important for persons to utilise the services offered by the health centre.

She said while women pay more interest to their health, men still fail to take their health seriously.

Minister Cummings implored men from the village to utilise the health facility.
The facility offers blood pressure testing, glucose testing, testing for chronic diseases and other services.

Residents were elated to finally have their own health centre, as they believe it will help to save more lives and relieve them of some of their financial burdens.
Director of Regional Health Services for Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), Jevaughn Stephen said the facility will reduce the number of patients who have to visit the regional hospitals.

The catchment area for the health centre has over 43,000 persons.
The region recognised the need for a health centre in the community after noticing the size of the population in the village and other nearby communities.

“Regional health services found it fit to ensure that it [ the health centre] was constructed in the heart of the village,” said Stephen.

The region, he said, wants every citizen to have access to primary healthcare and the new facility was testimony to that commitment.

Stephen believes that the region is pioneering President David Granger’s vision for healthcare locally.

Getting to where they are required a lot of hard work, he said.
Regional Executive Officer of Region Six, Kim Stephens, said the region has been working hard to improve healthcare.

“The healthy body means healthy minds, developed region and development in Guyana,” she said.