–Taking a look at the health of Victorians and Guyanese alike

By Shaniya Harding
UPON entering Victoria, there is the village’s health centre. And as many institutions are a close-knit community, the villagers have formed a relationship with the people they trust to ensure their health.

One such person is Dr. Shanelly Fortune of the Victoria Health Centre. Dr. Fortune is currently the only doctor stationed at the health centre, and says that even though it is not the easiest of jobs, she loves what she does, and the people who she does it for.

Dr. Fortune is a general practioner, which means she is not only trained for any circumstance, but must be prepared for anything. She has only been a part of the clinic for three years, but she has made a significant impact in her short time.

A VITAL PART OF VICTORIA
Dr. Fortune is an ambitious young woman who has seen a lot in her short time as a doctor. “I have been a doctor for seven years. Before Victoria, I was at ‘Melanie’, and before that, in Bartica. But I do like working in Victoria a lot,” she stated.

The Victoria Health Centre also caters for patients from as far as Cove and John. Because of this, the centre has an interesting schedule to facilitate all of its patients.

“Every day we have a different clinic scheduled. And in the afternoons, we have the outpatient, which is when anyone could come in from 1 o’clock for whatever ailment they may have. In the mornings, we focus on one particular clinic,” Dr. Fortune explained.

Both the clinic and the doctor place great emphasis on their patients. In the time she has been there, Dr. Fortune says she has cultivated a relationship with the people of Victoria; one built on trust and honesty. As Dr. Fortune stated, “I have a pretty good relationship with my patients. They know me; some of them a little too well. They are very comfortable around me.”

One of the problems that the centre is facing, however, is the recent loss of its midwife. This, as Dr. Fortune explained, is a countrywide issue. “The midwife leaving was not for personal reasons, but due to the fact that we have a shortage of nurses. So, nurses are filling the gaps,” she said.

Because of its location and coverage area, Dr. Fortune explained just how the centre acquires medicine for its patients. “We have to make a request, once a quarter. It goes through the regional health office, but it typically goes to the Materials Management Unit; they would supply what they have. But whatever they don’t have, the office has to procure from other places,” she said.

The village of Victoria faces similar issues as the rest of Guyana. Dr. Fortune explained that they, too, are battling multiple cases of Dengue Fever. “At one point in the year, you would find a lot of people coming in for a cough or cold. And then there will be a time, like recently, where there was a lot of vomiting. Depending on what is going on, and right now, we have a Dengue Fever outbreak. So, we have a lot of people with body aches and fevers,” she said.

HEALTH BATTLES
The village of Victoria is just a tiny aspect of the health battles many Guyanese are currently facing. Dr. Fortune highlighted some of the major issues and health concerns in Guyana currently. “Obesity, in general, is becoming prevalent among children, because of lifestyle choices. Children don’t play like they used to; they are fixated on their devices. They are seated most of the time; they are not very active, so they can’t burn any fat. I don’t see a lot of obese children in this clinic, but they exist. Obesity can lead to chronic illness later in life,” he said.

Recently, it was shown that diabetes and hypertension are among the major health risks facing the Guyanese population. This is s sentiment that Dr. Fortune echoes, as she stated, “Diabetes is very prevalent in Victoria. Hypertension is, typically, more prevalent than diabetes, but there are a lot of patients with diabetes, and it seems to be raising,” she said. And, as cases rise in Victoria, they rise everywhere.

The reason for this, Dr. Fortune explained, has to do with the choice the patient makes. “They want to eat and drink whatever they want; however and whenever they want. And those are the repercussions, unfortunately. They also don’t want to take their medication.” This, however, is something that Dr. Fortune understands, and works with her patients on resolving.

LIFESTYLE CHANGES
We can look at Victoria to glimpse the larger changes that can be made in Guyana and the Caribbean. “I would first and foremost tell [people] to exercise. Guyanese have an issue with portion size of food. We know that we are not supposed to be eating more than a pot spoon of rice and we may want to eat three. And there are no vegetables on our plates. We normally mix our vegetables and the meat because that’s how we cook. But by the time we cook that there is lot of nutrients that is lost. We eat for taste and flavour not necessarily health purposes,” Dr Fortune said.

The village of Victoria is home to beautiful and welcoming people. They are a beautiful community bound by history and tradition. And as the community grows, tradition changes, but never leaves. And similar to who traditional shifts can be made, lifestyle improvements are definitely a possibility.