The Ministry of Health on Wednesday launched a monthly clinic for visually-impaired people at the Guyana Society for the Blind, in Werk-en-Rust.
The clinic, which will be operated every second Wednesday in the month, is intended to ensure equitable access to healthcare for visually-impaired persons, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported.
“I feel happy today with the move the Health Minister has taken to help us here… because most times when we go to the hospital, we would have to depend on the orderlies,” said one prospective beneficiary, Donna Cummings.
According to GINA, the clinic was opened after Cecil Harris, coordinator for the Guyana Society for the Blind, suggested to Minister of Health Dr Bheri Ramsaran that an ophthalmology clinic be opened to facilitate the Society’s members. Sewchand, the Health Ministry’s Inter-Ministerial Sector Co-ordinator, who was present at the launch, said that the ministry is striving to ensure that quality healthcare is delivered to all Guyanese and that the goals and objectives are being achieved effectively and efficiently.
“A person, who is visually-impaired, in my estimate, still has the potential to make significant contribution to the development of Guyana,” added Indigenous Peoples’ Commission Coordinator Michael Gouveia, who was also present. He added that the ministry has recently started outreach activities at the blind institute and at other places that are normally off-radar.
In addition, the ministry’s Parliamentary Secretary Joseph Hamilton said, “We have engaged the Ministry of Home Affairs and Prison Service. At the moment we have in the Georgetown Prison two nurses stationed daily to help with medical activities. There are monthly visits of all the prisoners by doctors and Tuberculosis and Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) programme within the prison sector.”
GINA said the ministry is currently engaging the Mayor and City Council and the Guyana Power and Light to enhance the surroundings of the Guyana Society for the Blind.
