GPHC’s A&E unit offering better services – six specialist doctors recently completed training

Georgetown, GINA July, 18 2016

Six doctors recently acquired a Master’s Degree in Emergency Medicine through a programme provided by the Vanderbilt University and the Medical Centre of the United States of America (USA).

The doctors are currently stationed at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation’s (GPHC) Accident and Emergency (A&E) unit, boosting the level of services being offered at the institution. One other doctor is expected to graduate before the end of the year.

Twelve such doctors are to be trained by the end of 2018 as part of the training for specialists provided by the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) programme.

The EMS was established in February 2014 in collaboration with the GPHC’s A&E unit, and the then Ministries of  Health and Home Affairs.

Medical Director, EMS programme, Dr. Zulfikar Bux, who is also head of the A&E unit, in underscoring the importance of training specialist doctors, stated, “If you don’t have specialists who can actually diagnose these conditions very quickly and rapidly treat them and do the interventions very fast, you’re going to lose lives. That’s why we have emergency specialists.”

He added, “Similar to having surgeons performing specific surgeries and pediatricians taking care of children, emergency medical specialists coordinate and deliver emergency medical care for patients of all description and presentation,” Dr. Bux noted.

Dr. Bux added, “These are doctors who are trained to respond to emergencies in a very systematic manner and very efficiently so unlike a regular doctor will take time to figure out what’s going on if you come with a bleeding in your belly we have protocols and we have been trained with protocols to ensure that we diagnose and pick these things very fast.”

Dr.  Bux explained that with this specialised training, the team of emergency specialists, at the A& E unit (though understaffed) will be better equipped to meet the needs of all patients seeking medical intervention there.

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) also trains specialists at the Medical Technician level to assist in the process of saving lives. Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) are responsible for stabilising patients and ensuring their safety until they arrive at the A&E unit.

Twenty-nine EMT’s including staff from the Guyana Fire service (GFS) recently graduated after receiving training under the EMS programme. The training of EMTs is part of the EMS pilot which will be launched in September.