SAVE a Life Inc, in collaboration with the Eccles Sunnatul Masjid on Sunday hosted a medical outreach to bring direct healthcare services to the community.
The medical outreach which was warmly received, started at 10:00hrs and lasted until 16:00hrs at the Eccles Masjid on the East Bank of Demerara. Residents came out in their numbers to take advantage of the opportunity, accessing much-needed health services.
According to Imam Haseeb Yusuf, the event was hosted at the masjid, since it is the most suitable location in the community. He expressed gratitude for the partnership, which he said brought healthcare services directly to the people.
As the Imam in charge of the masjid for about two months now, he told the Guyana Chronicle that this was their way of giving back to society and the community and the plan is to host similar events two or three times per year.
Imam Yusuf said the medical outreach offered a variety of services including pharmacy, haematology, gynaecology, cardiology, orthopaedics, physiotherapy, internal medicine, blood pressure and diabetes testing, eye exams, HIV testing and counselling and diabetic foot care/ assessment, among others.
He added that they saw the need to bring direct healthcare services under one roof to the people, since they were badly needed.
Imam Yusuf reported that a highly qualified, specialised team of medical professionals were onsite along with volunteers.
He stated that 20 of the volunteers are members of the Eccles Sunnatul Masjid.
Emphasising that no one was turned away, Imam Yusuf told this publication that the masjid is planning a community-based beautification exercise, which will see several streets being regularly cleaned and maintained.
Additionally, the masjid will be designated a safe space for the community. Non-members will be allowed to utilise the recreation facilities, turning the area into a community hub.
Imam Yusuf said they are also seeking to partner with government to have services such as old age pension payable at the masjid among others as a form of ease for elders in the community.
Meanwhile, Consultant for Internal Medicine/Haematologist, Dr Kamela Bemaul-Sukhu told the Guyana Chronicle that Save a Life Inc., is an organisation that partners with other agencies to bring medical service to the community in Guyana. It operates under the motto, “Give so Others Can Live.”
She related that the medical outreach at the Eccles Sunnatul Masjid was for anyone who needed access to the services that were being offered.
Dr Bemaul-Sukhu explained that the medical outreach was two-fold. In addition to medical services, it was also a blood-donation drive as there is an urgent need for blood for medical purposes.
She added that the medical outreach had about 12 different specialised areas for services offered and they are catering for about 400 to 500 persons by the end of the day.
Dr Bemaul-Sukhu pointed out that it is their first-ever medical outreach in Eccles and so far, it was well received. The services offered were free of charge.
She noted that they have had successful medical outreaches in other areas such as Wakenaam, St Cuthbert’s Mission, Mabaruma, several orphanages, Georgetown and Linden.
