Fulfilling their mandates to society

The April 3, 2019, opening of the Plegt Anker Health Centre at Plegt Anker Village, East Bank Berbice, it saves the locals a lot for healthcare.

Community Health Worker Sarita Mohan told the Pepperpot Magazine that some of the services offered include maternal and child health; dressings; family planning; home visits; chronic diseases clinics and a general outpatient service.

The Plegt Anker Health Centre provides free healthcare on weekdays to the people of this village as well as the surrounding villages.

Mohan stated that being a small farming village, they see about 140 patients from Plegt Anker itself and some more from the nearby villages.

The most cases they have are from farming accidents, seasonal illnesses, hypertension and diabetes.

“I grew up here and saw the need for a health centre because being this far away from New Amsterdam I knew how challenging it was to get out there for medical attention, so I wanted to serve the community and ensure people get the services they need to preserve good health,” she said.

Plegt Anker Health Centre has four staffers: a community health worker, a clinic attendant, a nursing assistant and a visiting doctor who is there on Mondays.

Before the $14 million Plegt Anker Health Centre was commissioned, the nearest health facility was at Brothers Village, miles away.

Plegt Anker Health Centre has a shed with a waiting area, a triage section, the doctor’s room, dressing room, washroom facilities, the nurses’ room and a children-friendly area.

It is a well-kept, clean facility that provides a reliable service to the community, and it is conveniently located next door to the Nursery and Primary School.

The Plegt Anker Health Centre is outfitted with an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) hub and the village locals would visit to use the internet daily.

The medical professionals at Plegt Anker Health Centre have good relations with the villagers, so the atmosphere is relaxed and pleasing.

The Plegt Nursery/Primary School
Just next door is the Primary/Nursery School building, a neat environment and clean building with a playground.

The headteacher at the school is Oshelle Welch, who has been a teacher for the past 22 years, and she hails from Glasgow Village, also on the East Bank of Berbice.

For Welch, the commute is tiring, considering the state of the road, but she does it anyway because she loves the humble profession of teaching.

She was promoted to headteacher in 2014, and she aims to equip learners with basic knowledge in preparation for secondary school.

Education course subjects are taught at the public school, which houses both the nursery and primary school by the teachers, some of whom are from Plegt Anker Village.

The mother of three told the Pepperpot Magazine that the school has a resource room that both learners and villagers utilise, and they have a good rapport with both the locals and parents.

The senior educator related that it is indeed a privilege to serve the community, and she is there to ensure that all learners realise their full potential.

She stated that learners and their parents can access the Resource Room at the school for social activities in celebration of national holidays and other school-related gatherings.

The resource room is equipped with books and other learning materials, but lacks an internet-ready computer for research and other education-related use.

Welch told the Pepperpot Magazine that with the health centre next door they have access to the facility in the event of any medical emergencies, and that is a good thing.

“I like the quietness of the village, the people are cooperative and neighbourly, and it is a very safe place to work because the locals are very hardworking, simple, down-to-earth folk, who are committed to their daily activities of farming and do not waste time,” she said.

The Plegt Anker Nursery School has on its roll 12 pupils, while at the primary level, they have 31 pupils enrolled.

The most important resource that is needed at the school is the internet and reliable electricity, which will significantly boost their capacity to engage learners.

At present, there is no internet or landline phone at the school. Electricity is sourced from a small solar panel which is insufficient.

Plegt Anker Village is a far-flung community which is located about 18 miles from New Amsterdam, and it is tucked away deep down the main access road, which is punctuated with potholes.