Save A Life Inc., a newly established charitable organisation comprising medical professionals, endeavours to offer sustained and effective healthcare services to vulnerable groups in Guyana.
This was the focal point of several presentations made last Saturday during the charity’s formal launch at the Herdmanston Lodge. The intention of the occasion was to create awareness of the organisation, announce its intentions, attract volunteers and inspire donations/funding.
Incorporator, Director and Secretary of Save A Life Inc. Dr. Kamala Bemaul Sukhu explained that she has for some time now participated in medical outreaches across Guyana and has realised that there is great need for access to sustainable and effective healthcare in some parts of the country.
As a result, the Save A Life Inc. charity endeavours to enhance quality of life in a sustained manner through adequate healthcare and non-medical charities by collaboration with governmental and non-governmental organisations.
According to Sukhu, not only is the organisation looking to attract volunteers to assist with medical outreaches, but they are also looking to establish satellite groups of the charity in all regions. The satellite group she said, would allow for the formation of a list of patients who are in need of the organisation’s help, so that the outreaches can be more effective.
In her presentation, Sukhu made mention of the importance of having follow-up visits to areas that would have previously benefitted from an outreach, in order to ensure sustained and effective medical services.
She explained that many times follow-ups are not done and as a result the delivery of healthcare is not always effective.
This being the case, Sukhu noted that once the charity receives ample sponsorship, it will seek to have outreaches every three months, as well as follow-up visits.
Stabroek News understands that the membership so far, includes almost one hundred persons, many of whom belong to the medical profession.
However, it was noted that though the membership currently comprises mainly medical professionals, Save a Life Inc. is also open to individuals who have a passion for volunteerism.
Meanwhile, Treasurer of Save A Life Inc., Mohamed Faizul Karimullah who also has experience in health outreach programmes, noted that he too often encountered persons who were unable to access basic medical care due to a wide range of issues, including poverty, lack of facilities and lack of support.
As a result, he noted that the organisation’s first goal would be to “reach and provide medical care to the yet to be served, to people on their home turf, in a way that is sustained, [and] effectively remedy or manage the health problems.”
At the same time, they will also seek to disseminate information and educate the population on topical or related health issues that affect them and their communities in order to increase their knowledge of skills to care for themselves.
In order to do so, the charity will be looking to assist with the supply of hampers, books and other school supplies, along with even a monthly aid to support the sustenance of the elderly who suffer from some form of disability, and or, have been abandoned.
“Our fourth goal is to complement the work of the Ministry of Public Health and administrators of the community health facilities by providing those briefs on surveys, focus groups and interviews, observations together with recommendations after each medical outreach, in an effort to support the enhancement and expansion of the delivery of access to medical services in those communities,” Karimullah said.
Meanwhile, some of the charity’s strategic goals include partnerships with foreign and domestic entities who share the same goals, as well as securing regular funding from businesses and other philanthropic organisations, both foreign and domestic.
“We expect the environment in which Save A Life organisation exists to change, but the principles guiding our existence are no less than benevolence and charity,” Karimullah shared. He added that the organization is committed to working hard, willing to be subjected to scrutiny and keeping proper records to ensure accountability, while it constantly focuses on what it stands for, more than what it does.
“Lastly, we acknowledge that not everyone can be helped but that everyone can help someone. We therefore call upon you to exercise those virtues of benevolence and charity, as we call upon volunteer medical and non-medical professionals and organisations to unite in harmony to accomplish this noble cause,” he added.
In addition to Dr Bemaul-Sukhu and Mohamed Karimullah, other executive members include Devindra Sukhu, Dr Philicia Findlay and Dr Navindranauth Rambarran.
For more information on the charity, persons can email savealifeguyana@outlook.com or call 603-5433.
