through partnership between GPHC, Canadian organisation
THE Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) in collaboration with the Canadian Network for International Surgery (CNIS), on Monday launched its trauma team training, funded by the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI).
Trauma Coordinator of GPHC, Dr. Tracey Bovell, said Guyana has been benefitting from this initiative since 2006, but there was a lull due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
During her remarks at the opening ceremony, Dr. Bovell said training is aimed at promoting a team approach towards the assessment of trauma victims, who include persons affected by accidents, assaults and more.

The training will be conducted digitally by the Canadian Network for International Surgery over the next three years.
Dr. Bovell said that they have moved on from the traditional ways of teaching to a more digital system, through which information will be sent out, and participants will be able to learn at their own pace and then do their practical assessment in person.

Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony, during his address at the launch, said he is pleased that the Canadian Government has agreed to fund the programme for three years.
He related that emergency care is something needed to be developed, as well as the way they manage their ambulances.
“We have quite a number of ambulances but they are not properly managed. When patients come in, how do we treat them, what protocols should we have and how do we treat them? And I think this is an area we should build out more on,” he said.

Dr. Ronald Lett, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Curriculum Development, CNIS, said that they have digitised the programmes to enhance productivity.
“Eight per cent of deaths annually are due to injuries, but 90 per cent of death and disability occurs [sic] in middle-income countries. So, we need to do something about it. There is primary prevention and there is secondary prevention and trauma team training is one of the secondary prevention [sic],” he said.
Dr. Lett said that they want persons to survive as much as possible without disability, so that they can return to their families and homes.
“If we are going to be successful at this, we need a lot of participants, a lot of health professionals that are well trained and that is what the training is about,” he said.
Dr. Lett, who consulted Dr. Anthony, referenced a Nurse Midwifery skills programme, in which Guyana is interested.
Additionally, Dr. Caroline Mireault, Manager and Counsellor (Political) of CFLI, said that she is pleased to be associated with the project and is happy to collaborate to support the capacity building of enhanced trauma care response in Guyana.