DOLLY Henry has always dreamed of having a job in healthcare, so much so that she pictured herself wearing the uniform and administering medical care to the locals long before it even happened.

Catering to the needs of others has always been on her mind and her dream was fulfilled when she recently completed a four-year Medex course offered by the Ministry of Health.

The course aimed to empower qualified individuals to return to their remote villages to provide primary healthcare.

The 22-year-old recently told the Guyana Chronicle that she learned of the Medex programme through her cousin, who was working in the city.

That relative took all her information and applied for her to be enrolled for the course and she got through.

Henry recalled that after she finished secondary school, she was looking for a job and when she heard about the Medex programme, she was elated.

Relocating to the city was different as she wasn’t accustomed to the hustle and bustle of the place, since she lived in a rural village where there were no vehicles or rush hour.

The transitioning phase took a while, but after a few years, she grew used to it.

Henry added that she attended Santa Rosa Secondary School, also in Region One, and she stayed at the dormitory for five years.

After she exited the formal secondary school system, she returned home to Warapoka Village where she  tried to gain employment in 2019.

Henry told the Guyana Chronicle that after she signed up for the Medex programme, she was accommodated at the Nurses’ Dormitory in the compound of the West Demerara Regional Hospital at Best Village.

She reported that during her four years there, she commuted daily to the city to attend classes and would return to the dormitory to study.

It was a sacrifice she made and did not regret it at all. She was successful at the end of the course and graduated with 29 new Medexes, who all went back to their home village to work after they had completed their six-week preceptorship under a doctor’s supervision at the regional hospital nearest to their homes.

Henry said she will soon return to Warapoka Village, having completed her six-week preceptorship training at the Mabaruma Regional Hospital.

The young Medex will not be the first healthcare provider in her family as her aunt, who sadly passed away some time ago, was a Community Health Worker.

Henry stated that her family supported her throughout her educational journey, and she will forever be grateful to them for their unwavering encouragement and guidance which kept her grounded and ensured she achieved her goal.

She is more than happy to be a Medex and being from a remote village in Guyana, she will take her position very seriously and educate others about the general aspects of their well-being, while administering quality medical care.

Henry will be the first-ever Medex from her village and she will be attached to the Warapoka Health Post. She will also be visiting the health facilities in Pariokao and Waikaibai, which are neighbouring villages.

Warapoka is a remote village located on the west bank of the Waini River in the Mabaruma sub-district, Region One. It is a scenic riverine community that has a population of mostly Amerindians totalling between 600 to 700.

Henry is the youngest of six children for her parents who are farmers.

She has promised to serve the people to the best of her ability and with respect.

“The people are proud of me. I am also proud of myself, and I am very grateful for the opportunity to become a Medex, and I will fulfil my role,” she said.