By Michel Outridge

GOLDEN Grove, East Bank Demerara, is home to one of the biggest health care facilities along the East Bank wing which provides comprehensive family medicine with an in-house specialist.

Tamica Daniels-Williamson is the doctor-in-charge of the Golden Grove Health Centre and has a hands-on approach when it comes to managing and seeing patients, just as any other employee under her watch.

It was evident when the Pepperpot Magazine visited that she has ‘an open-door policy’ and would take the time out to see just about anyone who needs medical attention.

Being the Family Medicine Specialist, Dr Daniels-Williamson is one of the friendliest and most straightforward individuals you will meet, and from the look of things, she is a very patient person.

According to Dr Daniels-Williamson, managing a health facility isn’t ‘a walk in the park.’ It takes a lot to oversee the day-to-day running of the facility to ensure that everything is in place and that medical professionals are ‘doing their jobs.’

“I manage the facility and see patients, as well. The management of patients entails long hours of work and in addition, I overlook the training exercise of the University of Guyana (UG) medical students, right here at Golden Grove Health Centre,” she said.

Dr Daniels-Williamson told the Pepperpot Magazine that presently, four UG medical students are undergoing Family Medicine orientation and since she is the in-house specialist, she manages their tutorials.

The doctor related that they deal with everything from pregnancy to chronic diseases at Golden Grove Health Centre.

They also have family planning, dental and mental health services, as well.

The Golden Grove Health Centre severs patients from the catchment areas of Little Diamond, Great Diamond, Golden Grove, Samatta Point, Kaneville and other neighbouring villages.

Dr Daniels-Williamson reported that the facility is equipped with the necessary equipment to offer reliable services, but there is room for improvement since nothing is perfect.

She manages 19 staffers from 08:00hrs to 16:00hrs from Mondays to Friday at the large health care centre, which is located at Station Street, Golden Grove, and a stone’s throw away from the Grove Police Station, the Golden Grove Nursery School and just next door to the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) office.

Dr Daniels-Williamson disclosed that the centre is a busy place where they see more than 90 patients per day, depending on specified clinic days.

She admitted that Wednesdays have the largest patient flow, because it is chronic diseases clinic day when patients with diabetes and hypertension visit for their medication and routine check-up.

Since they don’t offer in-patient services they mostly see patients with rashes, the common cold, asthma, joint pains and other minor illnesses.

“Cases that we cannot handle, that is, the more serious ones, we refer to the nearest hospital which is Diamond Hospital, which is located a short distance away and it is up to them to make a further referral to Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), if the case is beyond their reach,” she said.

Dr Daniels-Williamson told the Pepperpot Magazine that Mondays are maternal and child health clinic; on Tuesdays, ante-natal clinic, where they see the mature women in the morning period and the adolescents in the afternoon; on Wednesdays, chronic diseases clinic is held and on Thursdays are ‘Over One-Year-Old’ children clinic and on Fridays, they admit newborn babies to the clinic.

She said, “We basically have our work cut-out here since we have a steady flow of patients for the specific clinics, as well as, our out-patient visitors to tend to.”

Dr Daniels-Williamson related that the Family Medicine programme seeks to provide comprehensive care and services to patients at one location, that is, the Golden Grove Health Centre.