Aishalton gets fully-equipped $15M ambulance
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DPI, Guyana, Monday, April 15, 2019
Residents of the South Rupununi, Region Nine, will now benefit from improved emergency health services, as a $15M fully equipped ambulance was presented to the Aishalton District Hospital on April 14.
The ambulance will provide services to Aishalton and surrounding areas including Awarewaunau, Mururanau, Shea, Kraudanarau, Achiwib, Rupunau, Sand Creek and Shulinab.
Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock, who officially handed over the vehicle to the District Hospital, reiterated the government’s commitment to providing quality health services to the Guyanese people.
“We have a mission and that is having a good life for everyone and health comes first… this is the beginning to many more things to come.”
Regional Executive Officer, Carl Parker noted the initiative is part of the regional administration’s effort to improve the medical facility; equipped with facilities to conduct surgeries, dentistry among other services.
He announced that the region is working on upgrading the Annai, Karasabai and Sand Creek health centres to cottage hospitals. Further, because of the growing population of the villages, more Community Health Workers (CHWs) will be assigned to all the health centres in the region.
Plans are also onstream to have the Lethem Hospital operate on a 24-hour basis. Parker has urged that the young people in the region apply for training in the medical field since there will be a need for more doctors, nurses, medex (Medical Extension Officers) and technicians.
Regional Health Officer (RHO), Region 9, Dr. Naail Uthman said that the ambulance would be used primarily by the maternal unit to reduce maternal deaths in the region. Additionally, he said that the hospital can now transfer its patients to the main referral hospital in Lethem.
The ambulance will add to the one already in Annai and in Lethem to provide services to the residents in those areas. Among other services soon to be added to the Aishalton District Hospital are x-rays and surgeries. An X-ray and anaesthetic machine will be procured soon.
Between 2015 and 2018, the Coalition Government invested over $950M in health services in Region 9, of which the sum of $120M was spent in Aishalton alone.
Synieka Thorne.
Images: Tejpaul Bridgemohan.