By Michel Outridge

Headed by Dr. Reenika Veerasammy and other staffers, the Experiment Health Centre, West Coast Berbice provides efficient child and reproductive health services among others for its residents.

Dr. Veerasammy stated that she has been at the health centre since last November and she is there for two days per week since she shares her services at two other health centres on the West Coast Berbice division.

The Berbician added that she is at Experiment Health Centre on Mondays and Tuesdays for the chronic diseases and ante-natal clinic days where she sees more than 40 patients collectively.

On Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, Dr. Veerasammy is at Woodley Park and Bush Lot Health Centres.

“I am from Bath Settlement and this is the first time I am actually out of the hospital setting. I was at the Foot Centre at Fort Wellington Hospital for eight years but it is a process and am I am adjusting so far,” the doctor said.

She stated that the transformation has been good even though she is not accustomed to being at the forefront of a primary health care facility where more emphasis is being placed on prevention of chronic diseases, which sees a large turnout of patients with hypertension and diabetes.

Dr. Veerasammy has been able to share her expertise with patients she encounters daily in a one-on-one setting at the three health centres she is at on the weekdays.

“I am doing a post-graduate in diabetes so I am trying to pass on some knowledge to patients, the clinic is getting bigger, and we get like 40 patients fa week, and at Woodley Park, Health Centre is even bigger with 60 patients,” she said.

She related that even though the facility is fairly new they have had two visiting doctors and it is adequately staffed with a midwife, a nursing assistant, two community health workers, a visiting pharmacy assistant on Tuesdays, which is chronic diseases clinic day.

“We try to shorten the waiting time for patients, so they don’t have to be here all day here for services even though we see patients from neighbouring villages such as Bath Settlement, Plantation Hope and Experiment,” she said.

She stated that at Experiment Health Centre doesn’t turn away any patients and even on clinic days people show up with seasonal illnesses, acute sickness as well as asthma, among others and they would treat them too.

The facility is opened from 8: 00hrs to up until 16:30 hrs on Mondays to Fridays, where professional and friendly health care services await you.

Dr. Veerasammy said at times the clinic is large and the days are limited and with her being a home-care specialist she cannot provide that service there but refer patients to the Fort Wellington Hospital.

In 2016 officials of the Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF) handed over the $32.2 million Experiment Health Centre to the Regional Public Health Department in Region Five (Mahaica/Berbice).

With funding from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), the BNTF had undertaken the construction of the health centre at Experiment, West Coast Berbice, in May 2013.

The overall cost of $32.3 million comprised $23.2 million from the CDB and $9.1 million in counterpart funding from the Government of Guyana.

The facility has a floor space of 3,060 square feet, provides primary health care for at least 4,000 persons living in several villages.