AS a primary health care facility, the Goed Bananen Land Health Centre staffers are at the ready to serve the community, and they have a small but adequate facility that is very clean.

The health centre is housed on the lower flat of the Canefield/Enterprise Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) building.

Under the guidance of Dr Nerissa Ramnarine, there are four other employees including a midwife, a nursing assistant, a visiting social worker, and a community health worker.

Dr Ramnarine is the visiting doctor who visits on Mondays and Fridays and on those days there is a crowd at the health centre since most patients want to see the doctor.

There is a great need for an in-house doctor at this facility, but the employees try their best to reduce the waiting time for patients and no one is turned away without medical intervention.

The Goed Bananen Land Health Centre is open from 08:00hrs to 16:30hrs from Mondays to Fridays.

They have an indoor and an outdoor waiting area equipped with a shed, outdoor and indoor washroom facilities and a waiting area.

The health centre has a doctor’s room, an exam/counselling room, a triage area, a pharmacy and a records department.

According to Dr Ramnarine, services provided are antenatal, postnatal, family planning, child health, chronic diseases clinic, dressings, vaccinations, infant clinic and home visits.

She related that Mondays and Fridays when she visits those are the busiest days since they have the chronic diseases clinic which is the largest.

The Goed Bananen Land Health Centre serves patients from eight villages along that corridor in East Canje, Berbice.

Pharmacy services are provided by Dr Ramnarine on the two days she visits and there is need for a pharmacy assistant as well.

On a regular day, about 10 patients would access the health centre for various services and it is free.

Uncle Harold is 101 not out
The oldest resident along that section of Berbice is Harold Bisso, who will be celebrating his 102nd birth anniversary on March 8, 2022.

He is the father of one, grandfather of two and great grandfather of five. His only child, a daughter, resides overseas.

Uncle Harold as he is called, is being cared for by a family friend/neighbour, Geeta Kishore.

He has outlived his parents, siblings and most family members, including his wife, who passed away in 2005.

He told the Pepperpot Magazine that he started working at a young age and did many jobs such as farming, weeding, and as a watchman. He worked at the sugar estate for many years before he retired.

Uncle Harold is walking but with an aid, a walker, can carry on a conversation but is a bit slow and generally enjoys good health.

When the team met him, he was relaxing in his outdoor hammock, enjoying some fresh air after a bath, that day.

He is a very pleasant elder who likes to talk about yesteryear things.

Uncle Harold talked about his boyhood days when he attended Rose Hall Primary School; he’s had some good days, since the teachers were always nice to him.

He recalled their names and how they doted on him.

Uncle Harold is originally from New Dam, a place his parents are from and he later relocated to Goed Bananen Land Village.

He had one brother and one sister. Both have since passed on. His mother is from India and his father is Guyanese.

“I am taking things one day at a time. At my age I am very happy to have good health and being card for at my own home,” he said.

His daughter ensures that he has a good life as one of the oldest men (centenarian) in East Canje, Berbice.