THE Port Mourant Health Centre in Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne) is a model facility as it offers modern services to the public.

Focal Point Coordinator of the Ministry of Public Health, Alex Foster told the Pepperpot Magazine that the public facility was renovated as a result of private and public sector partnership and it is also outfitted with all necessary equipment and staff.

He made this disclosure during a media tour of the facility recently. The health care centre is paperless and has received the full support of the business community in that Region and overseas to bring the necessary services to the community, Foster said.

Family-friendly health centre
The Port Mourant Health Centre promotes maternal and child health clinics and they even post photographs of the mothers who have delivered and babies that have been born there on its walls.

Foster added that prior to posting those photos, the facility had American cartoon characters decorating its walls in an effort to make the place child-friendly but they have since pulled them down.

“We [took those photos] down and made them practical and realistic to feature our own people, who visit the centre. We [are concerned] that we cannot reach the length and height we were destined for so we have up instead photos of our local people, that is, mothers and fathers with children who were born here, the corridors are lined with families that utilised this health centre,” said Foster.

According to Foster, each health centre is required to have 26 different areas and the Port Mourant Health Centre is one which has been at the forefront of getting all those components organised and put in practice. He added that all departments were also able to meet the minimum standard required.

“You notice this is a little different since we are encouraging male participation at the health centres and a lot of men are here on a monthly basis for clinic with their wives and children. Mothers can breastfeed their children at the clinic because an area has been set aside for that and back in the days, mothers alone with children used to visit the centres but things have changed because we want it to be family-friendly as much as possible,” Foster said.

He told the Pepperpot Magazine that while children are at the facility there is a designated play area for them, which is safe and a separate section for breastfeeding which is exclusive. He added that every year mothers are also presented with a hamper and a plaque.

Foster stated that despite constraints, the Port Mourant Health Centre is up to standard with a full complement of six staff and their goal is to have a full-time doctor there but for now one is present two days per week.

“We are pushing local imagery that is practical at this facility because this is a real model of how a health centre should be with a kitchen and a community profile of the catchment area, which is basically a map of Port Mourant. This is for the benefit of the staff, five of whom have gone out in the field to work along with social service providers. Each department is labelled for easy access, including the doctor’s office where examinations are done,” Foster said.

Foster explained that on a weekly basis a social services worker visits the facility for counselling services and conducts blood tests on patients. The vaccine room is fully labelled as well for safe practices and for teaching staff to maintain the standard.

The Port Mourant Health Centre is fully air-conditioned and is a digital facility which is opened to the public on Mondays to Fridays. Foster reported that there are 30 health centres in the region and the ministry’s plan is to bring all up to standard.

“When and if you were to visit any of these health centres you will see how close they are to this facility because we have set aside a standard for the rest to pattern and it is a competitive environment for upgrading with each other,” Foster said. “Every year we try to upgrade these health centres but some of them were in such bad shape that it took a long time for them to get to this standard. Through training, we will ensure all the health centres in this region are up to standard through private and public sector partnership – we are leading the way in this direction.”