By Wendella Davidson

THE Fort Wellington Hospital, one of two district hospitals located in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), some 54 miles from Georgetown, continues to deliver quality healthcare services to many patients.

For this year alone, the institution has recorded about 1 000 admissions, 6,000 emergency room visits, and seen just over 48,000 outpatients, according to Regional Health Officer (RHO), Dr. Desmond Nicholson. The figures represent an increase in patient load from last year, and according to him, “The numbers speak to the increased confidence of the public in the quality of healthcare offered here. Also, we cannot deny that there has been a gradual increase in the regional population from the time of its inauguration to now. So, undoubtedly, there continues to be an increased demand for services.

As with everything else, they, too, have their fair share of challenges.
“We are faced with overcrowding, which results in long waiting times,” Dr. Nicholson said. “However, we continue our work, despite the challenges to ensure the health of the people is taken care of.”

The health facility was established on September 28, 1969 by then Prime Minister Forbes Burnham, with assistance from the governments of the United States and the United Kingdom. Initially comprised of furnishings, staff houses, a mortuary and a few departments, the institution was built on land donated by Chairman of the Hopetown Cooperative Land Society, Mr. M.S. Wharton.

Since it has been upgraded, it now boasts an X-Ray Department, Rehabilitation Centre, a comfortable Waiting Area, an Accident and Emergency Unit, VCT Unit for HIV/AIDS Testing and Counselling, Physiotheraphy, Ultrasonology, Chest Clinic, Mental Health, Dental Centre and an Audiology department. There is also a unit that caters for Tuberculosis patients and a Foot Care Centre.

ROUND-THE-CLOCK SERVICE
During a recent visit by the Guyana Chronicle, Staff Nurse Midwife Jackyln Campbell, who has been acting as Ward Sister from October 30, 2017, said the facility offers a 24-hour emergency service, as well as maternity and in-patient services. These are in addition to laboratory, x-ray, and pharmacy services that can be accessed up to 22:00hrs daily. The Outpatients Department operates from 08:00 to 16:00hrs, where doctors see patients from as far as Ithaca and Belladrum. Sister Campbell noted though that persons from areas outside of the region, such as Mahaicony, have also been accessing the services.

The Foot Care Centre has been seeing a reasonable number of patients, since there is no other facility close by that offers such services other than the ones in Georgetown and New Amsterdam. As such, the Centre has started a training programme, whereby it teaches patients self-care, so as to help minimise the number of patients needing to access dressing on a daily basis.

Besides Dr. Nicholson, who is in charge of the facility, the institution also boasts an Assistant Administrator, Dr. Sasha Wong; a Medical Superintendent and Senior Family Physician, in Drs. Iva Alexander Sinclair and Htay Win respectively, along with Sister Campbell.

The facility has a staff complement of over 100 employees, nursing and auxiliary, with each department headed by a supervisor. There are five resident/in-house doctors, inclusive of two Cubans who specialise in internal medicine. They are, however, assisted by other doctors, who are on-call, as they are assigned to health centres but are also programmed to assist in the emergency and out-patient departments.

With three shifts in place at the facility: 19:00 to 15:00hrs; 13:00 to 21:00hrs; and 20:30 to 07:30hrs, the ward sister said the facility gets adequate coverage, and whenever constraints are encountered regarding staffing, they receive assistance from New Amsterdam.

The mother of two boys, Sis Campbell lives at Hopetown but is originally from Number 28 Village. She was trained at the St Joseph’s Mercy Hospital, and subsequently worked there for 10 years as a midwife.

Asked about the most prevalent diseases being encountered at the facility, the ward sister mentioned diabetes, cold and fever, respiratory diseases, dental issues, vomiting and diarrhea, and skin infections. For persons with skin aliments, there is a clinic being conducted on the third Tuesday of every month.

Sis. Campbell said that with two ambulances available to the hospital, in the event of cases that need further medical attention on the advice of the doctor there, the patients are first triaged and stabilised before being transferred to either the Georgetown or New Amsterdam Hospitals.

Cuban-trained Dr. Denise Erskine, who was on duty at the Out-Patients/Emergency Department but took time out for a brief interview, highlighted alcoholism, suicide and homicide as the social ills that plague the region the most.

“It’s a long drive to either Georgetown or New Amsterdam, so a new facility with all the key services, inclusive of theatres, surgeons and the likes would be quite appropriate,” she noted.

Expounding on the social issues, Dr. Erskine said there is definitely a need for more and continuous educational programmes to help sensitise persons in the region about many of the social ills that confront them. “This lack of education is a big problem, I have found that some patients who are suffering do not know what they have, and in instances where they do, they abuse the medication they receive,” she said, highlighting hypertension and diabetes as the main examples.

In the case of the latter, she said there are individuals who, despite being exposed to one-on-one counselling, which she personally does, once they are at home they do not adhere to the advice given by doctors, as such they have to be constantly visiting the facility.