With a language barrier seen as a challenge to vaccination against COVID-19 in some parts of Region One, Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony has said a specialised campaign may have to be undertaken.
According to the Department of Public Information (DPI), Anthony floated the proposal on Friday during a visit to Mabaruma, where he stopped at the COVID-19 vaccination site in the compound of the Mabaruma Regional Hospital and was told of the challenge.
Indigenous languages are spoken in the region in addition to English.
“Everything must be done, even if we have to go again to ensure everyone has an opportunity to be vaccinated against COVID,” Anthony was quoted as telling the Regional Health Officer (RHO) and staff at the facility.
Later, as he visited the Port Kaituma Hospital, the DPI reported, Anthony encouraged the staff to speak with their trained vaccination personnel about anything they may not understand about the vaccines.
“You have amongst you two things; one, you have trained people to oversee this vaccination process, all of you nurses, who are part of this vaccination process, apart from the team that is located in Georgetown, you have a team of experts that are closer to you right here, they were trained, they can advise you on all things about the vaccines. So, if you have any doubt, then you can talk to them and get their advice,” he said.
Meanwhile, the DPI reported that at the Smart Hospital Project at Mabaruma, both Minister Anthony and Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/ WHO) representative in Guyana, Dr Luis Codina were pleased with the progression of works.
“At the end of August, some portion of the hospital can be finished, and maybe some others will take some time, one or two more months but in the difficult time that we have in the middle of the pandemic, with a lot of flooding around the country etc., to have this result at this moment I think it is a great improvement in terms of the project,” Codina was quoted as saying.
The report said that so far, contractor Chung’s Global Enterprise has been able to repair the roof of the earmarked section for retrofitting, retile the kitchen area, construct the battery room, resurface the wheelchair ramp, as well as other structural improvements and modifications at the hospital.
The Smart Health Care Facilities Project is a £43.8 million project currently being implemented in seven Caribbean countries, including Guyana. The project is funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) of the UK Government.
