Guyana celebrates World Family Doctor Day
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By Rebecca Ganesh
DPI, Guyana, Sunday, May 19, 2019
Recently graduated doctors of family medicine today hosted a mini exposition, at the Giftland Mall, Turkeyen, to sensitise the public about family medicine as Guyana joined the world to celebrate World Family Doctor Day.
Dr. Christel Fraser-Barclay said the sensitisation exercise was being conducted by students of the postgraduate Family Medicine Programme.
“We are here to sensitise the public on family medicine in Guyana and the role of family doctors. So that persons will feel comfortable and feel free to go to their local health centres; take advantage of the services the centre have to offer.”
The University of Guyana (UG) and Georgetown Public Hospital Institute of Health Science Education partnered with the University of Ottawa Department of Family Medicine to establish a sustainable, community focused, Guyanese-specific postgraduate Family Medicine training program that will train physicians in the art and science of primary health care.
Dr. Fraser-Barclay, during an interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI), explained that Guyana embarked on this journey in 2015 and it is the determination of the health sector to be able, through this new programme, to improve the health and wellbeing of the people of Guyana by strengthening the primary health care based system that ensures universal access to quality health services.
She said, “four graduates from that programme are family doctors in Guyana today, its new as a specialty in Guyana.”
Dr. Barclay explained further that the family doctors are not limited to the Georgetown Public Hospital Cooperation (GPHC) but it is the health sector’s plan to have family doctors at all health centres and hospitals countrywide. “We operate out of seven health centres presently and from Monday, (May 20) we are adopting another health centre, and every year we plan to adopt two new health centres.” Presently, the health centres are Grove, East La Penitence, Kitty, Campbellville, Industry, Sophia, and the Enmore Polyclinic.
“We operate at a community level, so we hope that we can really prevent illness, promote health and we can really foster a healthier Guyana from that level,” Dr. Barclay stated.
Meanwhile, Dr. Sohodra Rambarose, also a graduate from the family medicine programme, is presently attached to the Kitty Health Centre in Georgetown. She worked in the paediatrics sector for some time and, “usually sees children who are extremely sick.” This notion, she noted, drove her to undertake studies in family medicine. “So, by strengthening primary health care and investing in preventative health and preventative medicine, we can save people from having a bad outcome and overall it lifts the health of the entire country.” Her hope is that along her journey in family medicine she can positively impact the way persons view the health centres and family medicine.
Dr. Tariq Jagnarine, who will be graduating in November 2019, noted that family medicine is a specialty that bridges the gap with families having continued and comprehensive care “from the cradle to the grave.” According to Dr. Jagnarine, family medicine encompasses all ages, all genders, each organ system and every disease entity. It is based on knowledge of the patient in the context of the family and the community, emphasising disease prevention and health promotion.
The World Organisation of Family Doctors first declared world Family Doctor Day on May 19, 2010 and it has become a day to highlight the role and contributions of family doctors in health care systems, locally and around the world.
Images: Jules Gibson.