DENTAL health is an important component of the overall health of the Guyanese people; it is about taking care of the teeth, gums and the mouth, and preventing such complications as tooth decay (cavities) and gum disease, and protecting the overall health of the mouth.

Many people have a fear of going to the dentist, and wait until the pain becomes unbearable and the only remaining option is to have the tooth extracted. In many cases, that tooth could have been ‘saved’, had there been an earlier dental intervention. The PPP/C Administration, conscious of the importance of dental health to the overall health of citizens, has recently re-launched the ‘Lady Janet’, which is the largest and most sophisticated dental boat in the country. The vessel was named after the late Former President, Mrs. Janet Jagan, and is expected to resume services to the people of the Upper and Lower Pomeroon in Region Two. The recommissioning of the ‘Lady Janet’ will allow for adults and children to access a number of services such as oral examinations, extraction, dental cleaning and oral health education.

This is indeed a commendable initiative by the PPP/C Administration which will allow for children and adults from far-flung riverine communities to benefit from dental services at no financial cost. Residents in these hinterland communities are severely challenged in terms of accessing dental services in a timely manner, and the re-deployment of the dental boat is a welcome development.

Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony, who commissioned the boat, noted that efforts will be made to ensure that additional primary care services are available on the boat. According to the health minister, the boat will operate initially as a dental boat which could be modified later to provide other health services such as maternal health and pediatric care.

It was during Mrs. Jagan’s tenure as Minister of Labour, Health and Housing that several dental clinics and cottage hospitals were established all over the country, and emphasis placed on women’s issues, including maternal health and gender equity. Indeed, it was under her stewardship that infant and child mortality went down significantly, and malaria, which was rampant at the time, almost completely eradicated in the country. Because of the neglect of the health sector under the PNC regime, there was again a resurgence of malaria in the country, especially in the interior locations. Today, the PPP/C administration has again brought malaria under control.

President Dr. Irfaan Mohamed Ali has made the health of the Guyanese people a top national priority. In the 2022 Budget Estimates, a sum of 12.4 billion dollars has been allocated for the design and construction of a state-of-the art pediatric and maternal hospital, the upgrading of the West Demerara and Bartica Hospitals, and the construction of six modern regional hospitals at Anna Regina, Tuschen, Diamond, Enmore, Bath, and No. 75 Village. A number of health facilities have been upgraded and retrofitted to operate as ‘Smart’ health facilities, which are consistent with the low-carbon development trajectory of the PPP/C administration. These facilities are strategically reconfigured and retrofitted to resist natural disasters, and provide enhanced levels of resilience, strengthening of structural and operational technologies, which, in addition to reducing carbon footprints, will also allow them to operate during emergencies and disasters.

The government is committed to providing First-World healthcare services to the people of Guyana. According to President Ali, there is also need for ‘a culture change’ in the way health services are being administered in the country. Such changes, the President said, are not only applicable to doctors, nurses and other medical staff, but to all workers. “So, it is an integrated flow from the time you get to the hospital to when you are administered service. And I want to urge the management of the hospital to ensure that that flow and level is there,” President Ali said.

President Ali and the PPP/C administration must be commended for the several initiatives and interventions to modernise the delivery of healthcare to the citizens of Guyana, including the provision of free dental services. There are not many countries in the world, including some of the more developed ones, where there are free dental services, an indication that the people-oriented approach as envisioned by President Jagan and his wife, Janet, is very much alive.

The re-commissioning of the ‘Lady Janet’ coincides with a time when the entire nation is celebrating the life and work of former Presidents Cheddi and Janet Jagan, both of whom passed away in the month of March. This year marks the 25th Death Anniversary of Dr. Cheddi Jagan, who was himself a dentist by training, and after whom the Cheddi Jagan Dental School was named. The dental school is a gift to the people of Guyana by the former President.