The Burn Care Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) yesterday received Cdn$13,500 worth of surgical equipment and two laptop computers from founders of Canadian NGO Caribbean North Charities Foundation.
Vice President of the foundation Pamela Harakh handed over the donation, which included a skin graft mesher, expansion ratio cutters, autoclave case, skin graft mesher carrier and dermatome blades to the GPH’s Chief Executive Officer (ag) Allan Johnson yesterday at a simple ceremony held at the hospital’s Resource Centre.
The laptops are intended to assist by significantly aiding the process of keeping policies and procedures in digital format and the access to ongoing burn care information online.
Minister of Public Health Dr George Norton said the donation adds to the many years of invaluable assistance and longstanding commitment of the foundation to the Burn Care Unit.
According to Norton, “The foundation was instrumental in the establishment of the Burn Care Unit and has since supported the unit with, equipment, funding, training and educational materials.”
He said all of the efforts have contributed to better care of the thousands of patients that the Burn Care Unit has served.
Head of the Unit Dr Shinindra Rajkumar said the mortality rate of the burn victims had been reduced from between 60-70% to 33%. This, he said, is an improvement which the hospital is proud of.
Canadian High Commissioner Pierre Giroux applauded the foundation for its admirable work and the continuous support it gives to persons in other countries, while emphasising the strong relationship Guyana and Canada have shared for numerous years.
The foundation is an elite team of volunteers who over the last 17 years have engaged in outreach programmes to empower institutions and care providers to provide services that are not otherwise available.
Its leading project is the Burn Care Unit, which is a specialised critical care ward for severe burns patients in the GPH and was the first of its kind in the Caribbean.
It was opened in 2002 and is still fully functioning as the foundation continues to support on an ongoing basis, building its capacity to higher standards.
