Lethem Regional Hospital expanding lab services

─ other facilities in the region soon to introduce the service 

DPI, Guyana, Tuesday, May 14, 2019

Lethem Regional Hospital’s Laboratory services are being expanded to cater to the related needs for this critical service in the region. This is according to Regional Health Officer, Dr. Naail Uthman who said this is high on the agenda for the year 2019. “We are presently awaiting the completion of a new laboratory at the Lethem hospital, this laboratory will be very well equipped to provide a maximum array of services and that would include blood banking services, biochemistry, complete blood checks, malaria, dengue etc.”

The new laboratory unit at the hospital in Lethem is of importance to the influx of patients to the hospital. The laboratory will be utilised after several pieces of critical equipment are installed. Among equipment purchased is a new biochemistry and haematology analyser and also new microscopes to boost the existing services.

The equipment recently procured has an approximate value of $8M. Included in the lot is a freezer specifically for the storage of blood and blood products.

According to the RHO, this will allow the healthcare facility to effectively handle conditions such as snake bites; our accident and emergency patients requiring blood, maternal and child health in terms of post-partum haemorrhage.

The seven-member laboratory staff headed by an overseas trained Medical Technologist is grateful for the expansion since it is more spacious, allowing them to work more comfortably and provide a more extensive array of services. The facility will also continue to work on a 24-hour basis. The aim is to prevent patients from having to be referred to other regions for the service. “This will help us to keep our patients in the region because the overall vision is to ensure that all of the persons of the Rupununi will be able to access healthcare, without leaving the region unless it is their preference to go to another health facility, but we are striving to ensure that they don’t have a reason to leave and laboratory services is one of the key components of this overall vision.”

This will be further realised as health facilities in Annai and Aishalton are also being equipped to provide laboratory services. Also, the Ministry of Public Health will work with the health department in the region to train staff to work in these facilities.

By: Delicia Haynes.

Images: Leon Leung.