By Shirley Thomas     

RESIDENTS of Number Five, West Coast Berbice, are among other near-by communities currently benefitting from the services of a spanking new health centre commissioned at Cotton Tree, also on the West Coast of Berbice, in June 2018.
The residents are excited and have expressed gratitude to the administration for providing them with the updated and state-of-the-art facility, which is now offering maximum health care within its reach.
The facility, which threw its doors open to the public in June 2018,  is under the purview of the Department of Public Health. It is staffed by a team of 12, including a medical doctor; a midwife;  two community health workers; three nursing assistants; two pharmacy assistants; and two clinic attendants.

Communities benefitting from the services offered by the Cotton Tree  Health Centre include D’ Edward;  Harbour Spoon; Numbers  4,   5,  6 and 7 Villages.

Services provided
The services routinely delivered include:  Patients’ education in areas such as:  Sexually transmitted infections;  Chronic illnesses (including Diabetes, Hypertension, cardiac conditions; among other things);  ante-natal clinic for expectant mothers; Child health (including BCG ; Yellow Fever and MMR vaccines ; Men’s health, including sensitisation on cancers and Sexually transmitted infections. School visits and immunisation (such as administering the  HPV vaccines are also administered to teenagers at school after the medical staff would have held sensitisation sessions with parents and received their consent to vaccinate the students.

Response by the public 
Residents of the communities served have been commended for their attitude of cooperation with the health workers, both within the facility and during home visits within the community, conducted by medical staff. One health worker who has served the Cotton Tree Clinic for a considerable period had this to say: “I enjoy working here. The community is really nice. We do not have problems with the patients. They are health-friendly; willing and eager to learn and follow instructions given to them by the medical staff .”

The Pepperpot Magazine learnt that the facility usually gets a high turnout and residents willingly attend clinics.  Those who are not able to attend –  such as shut-ins and wheelchair cases, are provided home visits by staff who ensure they are visited each clinic day.

Some residents are of the view that it would help if the services of an HIV Counsellor/ Tester could be made available at the centre to facilitate testing for persons wishing to know their status. Until such time, they will continue to access HIV-related interventions and care from the Rosignal facility.