–call for more frequent, longer visits of doctors and health officials
RESIDENTS of Upper Mazaruni on Thursday and Friday benefitted from a two-day health outreach held by the Ministry of Public Health.
The outreach was held at the Upper Mazaruni District Hospital where several pregnant women, children, men and elderly persons benefited from ultrasound tests, eye screening, blood pressure testing, HIV testing, blood sugar testing, mental health counselling and visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA).
Harold Browne, the Toshao of Jawalla, a village approximately 30 miles away from Kamarang, stated that there have been several outreaches in the past, and commended the government’s interest in the health of the people in the Mazaruni area.
“The government’s initiative for health in this area has been a tremendous thing, in the sense that we haven’t had resident doctors here for the past 51 years. As an independent nation, we haven’t had that kind of outreach, and with the recent initiative, we have resident doctors coming in to Kamarang, Jawalla, Paruima, Waramadong and other places. So that in itself speaks volumes for health within our area,” Toshao Browne said.
He also noted that while the government’s initiative is appreciated, there is still a lot more that needs to be done in the interior region.
“We need additional input here now. For instance, our people here still have to fly to Georgetown. For instance, if we had a little fracture, we don’t need to go to Georgetown, if we had the x-ray department right here,” he said.
He is also calling for the regional hospital in Upper Mazaruni to be upgraded, in terms of having its own laboratory and x-ray and ultrasound specialists so that residents in such areas do not have to travel to Georgetown to see said specialists.
Clyde Henry, the former Toshao of Waramadong, who journeyed with the residents to the neighbouring village of Kamarang for the outreach, noted that while the ministry’s initiative is well appreciated, there is still a lot more work to be done in the interior region relating to health.
“I must say how thankful I am to be a part of the team that came here this morning. In fact, I was the driver. For your information, we have to arrange ourselves to be here, and it’s time-consuming. So therefore, we are thankful to be present, because we are in need of such health facilities in the Upper Mazaruni,” Henry said, adding: “And when we got the news that doctors and specialists in different fields are coming up, we were able to make arrangements. And therefore we are here.”
Henry said he must commend the government for bringing this kind of programme, as it is beneficial to the residents of the Upper Mazaruni Region.
“It’s very good, and I know that that was their pledge, and I’m pleased to know that they are doing their part,” he stated.
Royston George, another resident of Waramadong, who journeyed the 30 miles to Kamarang for the health outreach, expressed immense pleasure at the government’s initiative to host such health outreaches in the Upper Mazaruni Region. His only problem, however, is that he wished they were longer and not just a few days. He feels that ideally, they should be held for at least a week or two, so that persons who are bedridden and are living in more far-out areas can see the medical specialists and doctors when they visit the area.
A pregnant Sherena Robert, who hails from Waramadong, commended the government for taking the initiative it did, but wished the outreaches could be more frequent and longer.
Robert said that several pregnant women like herself were able to benefit tremendously from such services as ultrasound, which they would not usually get in the Upper Mazaruni area.
However, she noted that because of the distance they have to travel, several bedridden persons and children who have to attend school were unable to make the journey to see the doctor, because they have to travel for hours, sometimes days, and by boat. Hence she stated that the outreaches should be longer and more frequent so that everyone may be able to see the doctors and specialists when they visit.
Clifford Melvin a resident of Kamarang expressed immense gratitude the government for its interest in relation to health in the Upper Mazaruni region however, he added that the health outreaches should be held for more than just two days perhaps five days or two weeks, because majority of the villages in the Mazaruni area are scattered and far apart.
Over 700 residents of the Upper Mazaruni region were seen by doctors and specialists, diagnosed and given medication during the two-day health outreach.
