I am so pleased that medical expansion is of such recently, that the ‘goods’ are coming to the people, and help is just ‘next door.’ This feeling of wellbeing and optimism is in relation to what just took place in Annandale, East Coast Demerara. It is truly a most noteworthy achievement.  Just in case a few missed the event, here is a synopsis.

Last Thursday, there was the opening of the Doobay Dialysis Centre, and I agree that it “… (was) a breath of fresh air for diabetics and hypertensive patients in Guyana, who are victims of renal diseases.”  The venture came at a cost of around G$25M, and was spearheaded by Dr. Ram Doobay, Vic Oudit and others, collaboratively put together by Canadian and Guyanese organisations and people who have made generous donations.  Dear Editor, I love the mandate: providing dialysis to persons in need of it, and at an affordable cost, since the institution is a registered, non-profit organization.

Dialysis, as is now common knowledge, is a tedious and expensive medical procedure, whereby persons with renal or kidney failure, need to have ideally three times per week. This treatment most people cannot afford. So, having such a centre, with such a noble mission, is most timely indeed.   Priority at the Doobay Dialysis Centre will be given to persons who are poor and cannot afford to pay high costs. The projected cost per session is now down to the amazingly low figure of US$75 or G$15,000. This can get even lower if (according to Dr. Ram Doobay, whose brainchild the initiative was), help from more civic-minded persons increase. His goal is to bring the cost to as low as US$25 per session.

Another important factor in the Doobay Dialysis Centre is the fact that it is not unmonitored. According to Dr. Vic Oudit, who worked with Dr. Ram Doobay in the venture, the centre would be working in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) to meet the needs of such persons. In fact, the centre has already donated three dialysis machines to the GPHC, and is training nurses, both for that institution and the new facility. So the picture of this nexus is quite heartening.

Again, all the praises are justified. With this kind of input, and one that is people oriented, it enforces the idea that when people take the initiative for their country’s goodwill, Government is always moved to play a supporting part. I hope that other areas across Guyana take inspiration from the Doobay Dialysis Centre.