By Michel Outridge

YOUNG Tomica Sutton is a nurse at the Vive-La-Force Health Post and is considered by the residents to be one of the nicest persons in the village. Nurse Sutton, who is also from the community, started working there in 2018.

The small health post serves the communities of Vive-La-Force, Free and Easy, Vriesland and others way down in the backlands.

It is opened from 08:00hrs to 16:30hrs from Mondays to Fridays and offers maternal and child health services among others and also does simple dressings with its three staffers and a visiting doctor and a midwife.

Nurse Sutton told the Pepperpot Magazine that their chronic diseases clinic sees the most patients and many people from age 30 years old and up suffer from diabetes and hypertension within the community and farther afield.

The doctor would visit every second Friday in the month and conduct a chronic disease clinic, which is the largest clinic at the health post.

She stated that Vive-La-Force is a nice community even though it is small with about 300 residents.

“If you grew up here, this is a place you wouldn’t want to leave because you get accustomed to the simple, uncomplicated life and remain here to serve the community,” she said.

Nurse Sutton reported that the village has no conflicts and people are very sociable with each other; it is one of those villages where you can still scold a child without the parents being upset and it is as if the entire village is raising the children.

She reported that the children are well behaved and since they are not very exposed to certain things, they have good morals and are very mannerly, making them manageable in school.

Nurse Sutton disclosed that they try to assist everyone who visits the health post be it to treat seasonal illnesses; but the most serious cases are referred to the West Demerara Regional Hospital or to the Good Intent Health Centre.
She added that they have good patient-nurse relations and that nobody is racist or different there and they live in unity and relative peace, even during elections season.

There is a government ICT hub at the Vive-La-Force Health Post which has 10 internet-ready laptops which was donated by the Ministry of Public Telecommunications and is the place where the children and youths go to do their homework and school projects.

Nurse Sutton added that the ICT hub was launched more than a year ago and they welcomed the project because it is very beneficial for the people, who have been utilising it, but there is need for a skills training centre.

She reported that a volunteer comes in at 17:00hrs every day and stays up to 20:00hrs to assist children and youths.

“A Resource Centre is needed because a lot of youths here are unemployed, after finishing school there isn’t much one can do here and skills training can play a part, because they can get a job or become self-employed if they have a skill,” she said.