Health team to visit Smith Creek, other Barima River villages
─ more than 80 Venezuelan migrants temporarily settled – Toshao
DPI, Guyana, Monday, September 9, 2019
The Ministry of Public Health will partner with the Mabaruma Regional Hospital to deploy a health team, including specialists into riverine areas along the Barima River. The team will conduct medical check-ups on residents at that location. This follows a meeting between Minister of Public Health, Hon. Volda Lawrence and Toshao of Smith Creek, Sherman Lewis.
According to Lewis, although the Morwhanna Health Post is across the river from his village, some of his residents find it difficult to travel across. Also, the health post is only staffed with a Community Health worker who is not trained to diagnose and deal with complex illnesses.
However, this particular health facility is slated to be upgraded from a level one (health post) to a level two health facility (health centre). The Toshao added that not everyone in his village owns a boat which can transport them to Kumaka waterfront where they can go to the Mabaruma Regional Hospital.
Minister Lawrence told the residents of Smith’s Creek: “Your toshao will speak with the doctor at Mabaruma Hospital and we will make that arrangement to bring the doctors here so that they can look at all of the people in this community including the children… We want you all to be healthy.”
The minister also heard of the many migrants that have settled in Smith’s Creek and nearby villages. She indicated that with the movement of migrants into these communities, her ministry is working to ensure residents are not exposed to any health risks. Minister Lawrence said other villages where migrants have settled or are still settling in will also receive visits from medical teams.
Health facilities in these areas have been on guard, protecting the local population from health risks. Immunisation of migrants is the most important and effective method which has been adopted in safeguarding the health of Guyanese.
Toshao Lewis has been urging leaders in nearby villages to facilitate the health team when the time comes as the efforts go towards achieving good health for all persons in Guyana.