Ultrasounds now offered free at Port Mourant Hospital
DPI, Guyana, Wednesday, May 8, 2019
For the first time, ultrasounds for pregnant mothers have been added to services at the Port Mourant District Hospital, free of charge.
More specifically, high-risk maternity cases will be monitored more efficiently with the availability of this service. Also, other complex medical cases requiring ultrasound as a screening mechanism will readily benefit from this initiative.
According to the Doctor in Charge of the Hospital, Dr. Devendra Radhay, this follows discussions between the Regional Health Service Department of the Public Health Ministry and the management of the hospital through Region 6’s Department of Health Services.
There was a brief period for consideration, which subsequently saw the agreement made for an Ultrasound Technician from the Cuban Medical Brigade to operate the service. “This service will be provided five days a week, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for pregnant mothers and the other days are for other patients. We will also have a 24hr emergency service right here at the hospital; this will reduce the number of patients that go to New Amsterdam and this will facilitate the persons that cannot afford to travel or neither to pay for an ultrasound at a private institution.”
A high number of maternity cases travel from various villages along the Corentyne Coast to New Amsterdam, which cost money and time.
“Port Mourant hospital actually covers seven health centres so all of those health centres send pregnant mothers to New Amsterdam hospital. Here in the high-risk clinic, we have roughly about 28 patients, and that’s just a small number. I am sure that in each of the health centres they maybe have 30, 40 or 50 plus patients that are pregnant and need an ultrasound,” Dr. Radhay added.
Just last month, x-ray services were introduced at the district hospital with the commissioning of a radiology department. Even further, public confidence has been restored in the service delivery as more persons are accessing health care at the hospital.
Delicia Haynes.
Images: Jules Gibson.