Residents of the South Rupununi, Region Nine, will now benefit from improved emergency health services, as a $15M ambulance was presented to the Aishalton District Hospital on April 14, the Department of Public Information (DPI) said yesterday.
The ambulance will serve Aishalton and surrounding areas including Awarewaunau, Mururanau, Shea, Karadanarau, Achiwib, Rupunau, Sand Creek and Shulinab.
Regional Executive Officer, Carl Parker announced that the region is working on upgrading the Annai, Karasabai and Sand Creek health centres to cottage hospitals. Further, because of the growing population of the villages, more Community Health Workers will be assigned to the health centres in the region, he said.
Plans are also in the works to have the Lethem Hospital operate on a 24-hour basis. Regional Health Officer (RHO), Region 9, Dr. Naail Uthman said that the ambulance would be used mainly by the maternal unit to reduce maternal deaths in the region. Additionally, he said that the hospital can now transfer its patients to the main referral hospital at Lethem.
The ambulance will add to the one already in Annai and in Lethem to provide services to the residents in those areas, DPI said.
