THE United States Embassy Humanitarian Assistance Programme (HAP), on Tuesday, launched a two-day medical outreach and health education training in Port Kaituma, Region One.
US Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah Ann lynch, in her remarks, praised the community’s participation and cooperation that made the largest medical training of the HAP team possible, in Port Kaituma.
“The continued partnership between the U.S. Embassy and Guyana is critical, in order to address, alongside the people of Region One, community needs in health, security, and prosperity. The United States is honoured to work with the people of Region One, hand-in-hand, with a goal of prosperity for all,” said the ambassador.
Programme coordinator, Captain Josh Oppenheim, during an interview with this publication, said the team provided training to hospital personnel, teachers, local volunteers, police officers, and members of the Guyana Defence Force about basic trauma care, preventative medicine, women’s health, sex education and veterinary medicine

Oppenheim stated that the team, through discussions with community leaders, had assessed the needs within the area, identified the necessary areas of importance and designed its programme to target residents there.
“We visited there back in February and we noticed that the medical community there is lacking a lot of basic education and basic equipment, so one of our first goals is to help provide that education and base foundation to a lot of the communities, so the hospitals and staff don’t have to have as many patients and maybe some of the residents can take that knowledge and use it so they avoid excessive hospital visits,” said Oppenheim.
A US team of six doctors who are specialists in various fields in medicine (from the Global Medical and Surgical Support Group) will be conducting training for medical professionals in the area, along with local doctors, including a dentist, from Central Georgetown. Other medical specialists from the mission will also be in attendance. One U.S. veterinarian specialist, and one preventative medicine specialist was also a part of the training team.
Oppenheim stated that the mission believes health education is extremely important as it allows persons the chance to understand basic health practices, especially during the pandemic.

“Education is very important and getting this information out, especially during this pandemic, is going to be beneficial. I know people are now paying mind to COVID-19 but we will have to be cognisant that there are other health risks that need to be addressed and that’s what we expect this outreach to be like. We want to be able to help those community health operatives to help the residents of those communities,” Oppenheim explained.
He explained that while it was the first outreach being facilitated by the programme, it was not going to be the only one, explaining that it will be used as a stage setter for the other outreaches that will be done soon.
“We’re just excited to finally kick this off and I’m looking forward to a lot of people getting educated as you know education is the foundation and we hope this education can be amplified throughout the community and these people who attend can bring the knowledge back to their communities and provide a bit of help to the area,” he said.
Following the training the team made assessments for future US interagency deliveries of medical supplies for those areas in need.