IN the vast, remote expanse of the Rupununi region (Upper Takutu- Upper Essequibo), where thick forests and rugged terrain often make access to essential services a daunting task, healthcare delivery has long been marred by logistical hurdles.

With over 50 Indigenous villages and settlements scattered across the country’s savannahs, many residents once faced the grim reality of limited access to specialised medical care having to travel long distances to receive treatment.

This is no longer the reality, with the support of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government and under the leadership of Dr Cerdel McWatt, the Regional Health Officer, healthcare in Region Nine has undergone a revolutionary transformation, with critical services such as the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and specialised referral programmes now being delivered directly to the doorsteps of residents.

“We ensure that for every village, 57 villages, that there is a specialist group that is put together to base on the needs of the area and we ensure that once every month, there is a team that will visit every sub-district to ensure that persons are seen in their homes and are receiving adequate healthcare services,” McWatt said Tuesday, during a meeting with President, Dr. Irfaan Ali and several other regional officials.

This proactive approach to healthcare has been underpinned by a comprehensive package of services that includes obstetrics and gynaecological care, surgical reviews, backpack X-ray units, ultrasound services, and laboratory support, all designed to meet the diverse needs of the population.
“This is something that has never existed before. We’re proud of what has been achieved, and it’s making a real difference,” Dr McWatt added.
A standout achievement is the development of the NICU services, a critical area of healthcare for the region. Dr McWatt reflected on the challenges faced in the past, noting that up to 90 per cent of babies born in the region needed to be referred to other regions for critical care.

“Now, just about three per cent , they’re all dealt with within the region and are receiving adequate care,” he explained.
The regional health services have also seen a marked increase in patient visits, with an annual total that has surged from approximately 20,000 to nearly 30,000 patients seen per year.
On the matter of patient referrals, Region Nine has also made tremendous strides. Dr McWatt described the relationship with Brazil, which has traditionally been a critical partner in providing specialised services that are unavailable locally. However, the region’s ongoing improvements in healthcare delivery have reduced the need for such referrals by an astonishing amount.
“We have a relationship with Brazil in the case of patient referral for services that we don’t have; we would have [sic] dramatically reduced that, whereby now we are had referral levels at 35 per cent to now just being 2.5 per  cent and 0.5 per cent to the Georgetown Public Hospital.”
With these substantial improvements in NICU services, patient care, and referral systems, Region Nine is setting a new standard for healthcare accessibility and quality in remote areas.

SPECIALISED TRAINING
The successes of the region’s enhanced delivery of healthcare, Dr. McWatt noted, is credited to training that has been focused on a decentralised approach.
According to the health care official, there were 377 person who trained in various specialised courses and programmes offered by the government.
“We had nursing assistant programmes, we had pharmacy assistant programme, medical ward technician, patient care assistant and now we are having the second cohort of the hybrid professional nursing programme and the nursing assistant programme.”

In the regional officials are now recording a healthy life expectancy for patients.
He added too that the improved health services are now even being expanded, servicing communities from the region’s neighbouring country, Brazil.
“Services offered within region nine are not just for only for persons who are Guyanese, but we offer services for Brazilians and other nationalities free of cost.”

He noted that some 455 Brazilians had major surgeries done at the Lethem Hospital, one of the region’s premier health care facilities.
This figure he noted, has surpassed all historical data the region would have had in regard to surgeries done.
According to Dr McWatt, some 1340 surgeries were done.

Meanwhile, Guyana’s Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony, noted that the ministry over the past four years has embarked on an ambitious programme to enhance the delivery of health care to hinterland and indigenous communities across the country.

“For us in health we have had lots of accomplishments …there were things that we have never done before that are being done,” Dr. Anthony said.
The Ministry of Health he noted, has added more theatres (operating rooms) in and around all hinterland regions.
“In the past, the theatres in these regional hospitals were not functioning, and we were able to bring them to functionality.”

Meanwhile, in cases where a facility does not have a resident surgeon, the ministry has organised several surgical teams to travel to various hinterland regions to conduct elective surgeries.
“That has made a tremendous difference to the people of these communities.”