SHULINAB, a little remote community nestled in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), will be better equipped to deal with medical issues, as the Ministry of Health has, for the first time, assigned a resident doctor to the community.
The formal appointment of Dr. Petriana Surajpaul to the community’s health centre was done by Director-General of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Vishwa Mahadeo, who conducted a two-day outreach to Region Nine. In speaking about the appointment of Dr. Surajpaul, Dr. Mahadeo said: “It is the first time this facility is going to have a doctor. This is based on the request made during our last visit for more services to be offered here.”
The Director-General also commended the doctors who would have agreed to serve in remote communities across the country, to ensure that there is equitable access to quality healthcare.

At Shulinab, Dr. Mahadeo said he was confident of Dr. Surajpaul’s ability to serve the village. Dr. Surajpaul, prior to being assigned to Shulinab, served as the resident doctor at Sand Creek and surrounding villages.
“First of all, I want to say thanks to Dr. Surajpaul for being here, for taking up the challenge. She is one of the doctors that we need to commend because when she was advised that she would be coming to the hinterland, she willingly came to the hinterland.
“It would be a year now. I want to say continue to serve, and thanks on behalf of the Ministry of Health and people of Guyana for taking on that challenge,” Dr. Mahadeo said.

Further, he said that the government is working to meet citizens’ needs countrywide, and the assignment of a doctor to Shulinab is just the beginning.
With the new resident doctor, the community, which has over 450 residents, will have access to additional medical services. Additionally, vulnerable residents, such as those who are bedridden, would be treated.
Shulinab also has several satellites, including Meriwau and Quiko; however, Dr. Surajpaul is not daunted.
The resident doctor said she looks forward to serving and has an interest in ensuring the upward mobility of the Community Health Workers (CHWs).
“I will work with them to enhance their skills,” she said.

Prior to engaging the residents of Shulinab, the team wrapped up its visit to the Aishalton District Hospital in the “Deep South” Rupununi, where plans are on-stream to upgrade the medical facility to a central healthcare hub.
This facility has been manned over the last year by Dr. Quacy Mendonca and a staff of 24. It serves Aishalton and several satellite villages.
Since taking office in August, the new government has addressed transportation woes at the hospital, providing an all-terrain vehicle to support personnel movements in the region.  More recently, another doctor was assigned to the sub-district; he is a general practitioner with knowledge of ultrasonography.

Hinterland Coordinator at the Ministry of Health, Michael Gouveia said: “We already have in the region one of our Cuban counterparts who has training in ultrasonography. That person was sent in with an ultrasound machine two weeks ago. He is in Lethem at the moment having orientation and will arrive soon.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Mahadeo said his department is focused on achieving President, Dr. Irfaan Ali’s vision of quality healthcare for every citizen, regardless of their geographical location.  To this end, in addition to developing the district and regional hospitals, Dr. Mahadeo said there will be training for health staff, particularly CHWs. The Director-General told the medical staff at Shulinab and Aishalton that another reason for his team’s visit was to interact with them for a better understanding of their immediate needs, and to allow them to collaborate on the development of healthcare in the region. [DPI]