Hundreds access health services at Sand Creek
– Ministerial Outreach to Rupununi Region continued today
DPI, Guyana, Sunday, February 17, 2019
Hundreds of Sand Creek residents in Region 9, Upper Takatu-Upper Essequibo today were able to access a host of medical services, through the Ministry of Public Health’s medical outreach.
The exercise headed by Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Karen Cummings commenced on Saturday in Yupakari. Today, the team of doctors and other specialists visited the Sand Creek community and provided a range of services to the residents.
Speaking to the Department of Public Information (DPI), Minister Cummings said the ministry’s mantra remains “healthy people and healthy communities.” The ministry has, therefore, been working towards increasing awareness among the peoples of all communities.
“There is a renewal of primary healthcare. We know that health posts and health centres are the first responders. So, we want the residents in the community to come and realise that they can have their screening tests done. We want to create this kind of awareness of how healthy they need to be,” she told the DPI.
The team of doctors, medex and nurses met with pregnant women, persons with chronic diseases, including hypertension and diabetes, and those with ophthalmologic issues, HIV testing and counselling and provided dental services.
“We are very grateful that we can come and meet the members of the community, we can speak to them and they can check their health status,” Minister Cummings said.
Regional and Clinical Programme Officer, Ministry of Public Health, Sister Caroline Hicks said the outreach today was just one of the many carried out by the ministry across the country. The visit to the Rupununi also allowed the ministry to provide more Pharmaceuticals to the health centres.
“The health centre has a lot of medication, but those that are in less supply we were able to provide,” she told DPI.
The dental service provided to the communities, Sister Hicks noted is a complete package. She said the ministry has been making available all the services provided on the Coast to the far-flung communities. Those include cleaning of the teeth, filling, extraction and other corrective processes. Services that cannot be provided at this time will be done on a follow-up visit.
“These outreaches happen all the time and we have been reaching out to these areas. That is why we from the ministry are here to see exactly what is happening.”
She said the ministry is overly satisfied with the work being done by the health personnel in the various communities. Vaccination has also come in for much praise by the ministry.
“We realise that every area we went to, adequate vaccination is being given, the service is being provided very well, the storage and everything is very well, and we are really happy about this.”
The ministry continues its community outreaches, particularly, through Community Health Workers (CHW) attached to the various health centres.
Alexis Rodney
Images: Anil Seelall