By Michel Outridge

THE Silver Hill Health Outpost, Soesdyke/Linden Highway, is providing healthcare services, thus fulfilling its mandate to the people of this far-flung community and its environs.

The facility is outfitted with an automatic soap dispenser and a pipe for proper hand hygiene practices, in keeping with the new normal for the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).

General Medical Officer (GMO) Dr. Joanna Sealey told the Pepperpot Magazine that the Silver Hill Health Outpost has a visiting doctor every third Thursday of the month.

The doctor resides at Long Creek, also on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway and would also visit other health facilities along that corridor.

She stated that they provide all other services such as ante-natal, maternal and child health, neo-natal, family planning, chronic diseases clinic and home visits.

The Silver Hill Health Outpost has a pharmacy with other facilities and is staffed with a midwife, who resides in the government accommodation, next door, a nurse and a cleaner.

The health facility services that community and the nearby villages.

According to Dr. Sealey, more than 100 patients would visit the Silver Hill Health Outpost monthly and the chronic disease clinic is the largest, but they would often see patients with seasonal illnesses as well.

She explained that the Silver Hill Health Outpost is one of seven along the East Bank Demerara/Soesdyke/Linden Highway with 11 health centres.

The GMO disclosed that the jurisdiction starts from Eccles to Moblissa and all public health facilities come under the Ministry of Health.

The Bush Medicine Lady of Silver Hill

Having watched her father make ‘bush’ medicine for many people over the years, she became very familiar with the different ‘medical’ herbs from trees and plants that have many benefits for various illnesses.

She is Debbie Daniels, fondly referred to as “Aunty Debbie”, who is a resident of Silver Hill.

Daniels is originally from Christianburg, Linden, but also resided in Bartica and Kartabo Point for some years before she settled in Silver Hill.

In her home village, her father was into making bush medicines and assisting people, who often visited the home in search of his herbal concoctions for illnesses.

“I used to watch him and over time I got familiar with the herbs and I began making my own after he passed away, and I still do it today because it brings relief to people who are suffering from many sicknesses,” she said.

Daniels explained that she doesn’t do it to make a profit, but she would help people and would charge a small fee because sometimes she would have to source certain herbs from afar.

“Gathering these herbs also takes time and my eyesight isn’t too good, so sometimes it is difficult for me to move around to look for these herbs to make it fresh for a client, because I don’t make it and keep it,” she said.

The mother of six stated that sourcing some hard-to-get herbs would take her outside the village and she would have to get it from elsewhere.

“This isn’t about just boiling plants and herbs, but it takes some form of knowledge to know what you are about before you embark on ‘herbs-making’ which takes a liquid form after combining different plants,” she said.

Daniels, who has been a resident of Silver Hill for the past 37 years, revealed that plants from our yard and environment can cure us if we know how to use them to rid of any illnesses in our bodies.

“The real joy comes from helping people when they use my potion of herbs and it helps; I feel happy when they get some form of relief from their suffering,” she said.