Yesterday, the Ministry of Health’s, Mental Health Unit in collaboration with Mount Sinai University in the USA, held a train-the-trainers Disaster Mental Health training for participants from the various communities across Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) at the Regency Hotel.
This training which was facilitated by Dr Craig L. Katz & Melissa Kelly from the Icahn School of Medicine at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine comes weeks after twenty students, including a five-year-old boy, died after a tragic fire at the Mahdia Secondary School Female Dormitory in Region Eight.
During his brief remarks, Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony stated that with this training, the community healthcare workers will be able to better identify challenges patients may have and refer them to professional doctors.
He added that since the tragedy, Mount Sinai has been on board, assisting the Ministry in acquiring medication for the injured students and providing DNA testing on the remains of students.
Anthony expressed gratitude to the staff of the ministry, both central and Regional facilities, for their hard work in assisting with the tragedy.
He noted that telemedicine services are being offered in the Region Eight communities.
“In the affected villages, telemedicine capabilities have been installed to improve and deliver an expanded level of care to those communities”, Dr Anthony stated.
Also present at this training were the Director of Family and Primary Health Care Services, Dr Ertenesia Hamilton; Mental Health Programme Coordinator, Dr Timothy Morgan; and Region Eight Regional Health Officer, Dr Ravindra Dudnauth.
