To boost health care delivery in the rural areas in the Pomeroon-Supenaam Region, the Regional Health Care Services has conducted over 20 medical outreaches, in which over 1,200 patients have been treated.
Regional Health Officer Dr Ranjeev Singh said that residents in all the Amerindian communities in the region have benefited from the outreaches.
He said 10 boats were constructed and handed over recently to 10 Amerindian communities so that medication can be delivered and more home visits can be conducted.
The region’s RHO attested that outreaches were done at Mashabo, Bethany, Kabakaburi, St Monica, Yarashrima, Akawini, Sirki, Friendship, Dredge Creek, Abrams Creek, Wakapau, and Hackney. The services provided included audiology, dental, laboratory, physiotherapy and health inspections. He said on each outreach there is a representative from the Environmental Health Department present. That person would usually conduct health and sanitation talks with residents. During the outreaches persons are given medicines on the spot by doctors and cases the team cannot look after are usually referred to the public hospitals on the Essequibo Coast.
“We understand that it’s hard to come out from these communities and as such we are making the services available to the people, medication is sent in on a regular basis…all our health posts in these areas also have sufficient medication,” Dr Singh said.
Dr Singh also mentioned that follow ups are done with patients who are seen during the outreaches. The team consists of doctors, dental surgeons, pharmacists, laboratory technicians, audiology practitioners, physiotherapists, environmental health officers and clerks.
Meanwhile, Toshao of Bethany, Sonia Latchman, said she is happy that the health team recently visited her community. Latchman said that many persons in her community cannot afford to travel to the coastland to visit a doctor and welcome the medical outreach in her area. Latchman also said that the health team visit was at an opportune time when many persons are scared to travel out of the community due to the pandemic.
