Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Karen Cummings on September 27 commissioned the recently installed Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Bartica regional hospital.
The two-bed unit was refurbished as part of a regional project to modify the facility, the Department of Public Information (DPI) said. The regional Chairman, Gordon Bradford said that the cost of this unit is approximately $3.2M and took just about two months to complete.
Regional Health Officer of Region Seven, Dr. Edward Sagala noted that although the hospital can boast of much success in the health arena, there is still much work to be done, especially in far-flung communities.
Health care delivery in the region is affected by poor accommodation for staff, limited patient capacity at facilities and limited access to surgical and support services in interior parts of the region, he said. However, DPI said that the RHO disclosed that a Bartica Hospital Annex is expected to be in place by next year to accommodate staff. “Accommodation remains a challenge for our health workers so money (garnered from the budget) can also go towards improved accommodation not only doctors but all categories of health workers”, Dr. Sagala said.
The Minister also highlighted to the RHO that even as the region seeks to modernise health care delivery, the well-being of its staff must be given priority.
Additionally, the proposed community hospitals in several areas including Paruima, Waramadong, Jawalla, Kako, Imbaimadai, Issano are expected to eliminate challenges in terms of limited access to in-patient facilities. The RHO said if the budget allows for these proposed facilities to be upgraded to community hospitals, it will significantly improve the level of healthcare offered, DPI reported.
