22,000 East Coast residents to benefit from new health centre

by Gwen Evelyn
Guyana Chronicle
June 19, 1999


SOME 22,000 East Coast Demerara residents, will now benefit from a new $22M health centre which offers a vast range of medical services.

This health facility, said to be the largest in this region, was built through funds provided by the European Union (EU). It was declared open on Thursday afternoon by Health Minister, Dr Henry Jeffrey during a simple ceremony attended by residents and officials.

European Union Representative, Mr Stefan Muller, in brief remarks, explained that the EU has been supporting Guyana's education and health sectors since 1993. During that period, the body has injected approximately US$18.5M in the two areas.

In 1992, the Guyana Government and the EU established the Sector Programme for Education and Health financed by counterpart funds generated by the EU's General Import Programme (GIP). The programme is to fund priority projects in the health and education sectors. In 1995, the second phase of the Sector Programme began. Under this phase, health centres will be upgraded and clinics and hospitals refurbished and constructed in Regions One, Two, Four, Five, Seven and Nine.

Muller said that the EU has upgraded, built and refurbished several health and education facilities throughout the country. However, the organisation now needs to concentrate on the quality of services provided; maintenance of new facilities and supplies, Muller said.

He pointed out that the final aim is to improve the quality of the delivery of health and education services. Muller said that the EU will depend on the knowledge and will of the people to keep the centre going.

Minister Jeffrey said he hopes that the new health centre can be used to educate people about their health so that they can avoid becoming ill.

Dr Jeffrey said that this is done in Sri Lanka, which has successfully introduced basic access to health care.

The Minister said that in Guyana, maternal deaths are still high with a ratio of 172 women per 100,000 between 1992 and 1997. In Trinidad, the figure is 16 and Barbados, zero. Infant mortality is also high compared to the two Caribbean islands, Jeffrey said.

However, Guyana is doing better than other countries at the same level of socioeconomic development, except for Sri Lanka.

He said that in a country like Guyana, treatment for illnesses is expensive, and preventative measures must be taken instead.

Beterverwagting is also the recipient of a pilot programme on adolescent sexual and reproductive health. The Beterverwagting Health Centre will be a pivotal part of the mechanism for the programme's delivery, Jeffrey said.

Touching on sexual health, Jeffrey said that one major problem in that area is the AIDS epidemic. About five per cent of the population is infected with the virus, Jeffrey revealed.

A half-billion dollar three-year programme has been put in place to deal with the issue. As part of this control programme, a National AIDS Committee was set up and regional ones will also be part of the plan to deal with the disease.

He expressed the hope that the health centre will be part of the programme.

Ms Kathleen Whalen of the Caribbean Environmental Monitoring Organisation (CEMCO), which body was consultant for the project, said that the health centre is designed to meet the wide needs of the community.

She stated that it will provide complete health care to people from Better Hope to Friendship on the East Coast.

Ms Whalen said the facility is intended to be dynamic and flexible to adapt to the needs of the community.

Departments of the centre include: the dispensary; a dental unit; a multiple examination room; a doctor's consultation room; maternal and child health; labour and delivery unit; and an emergency treatment unit. There are also a comfortable waiting area, and a medical staff room. Previously, babies were delivered at home since the old health centre could not accommodate that service.

Equipment at the facility include: a computer workstation; X-Ray view boxes; slide projector and screen; overhead projector and screen; television and recorder along with a presentation cabinet for them; mobile stand for slide and overhead projectors; secretary chairs and filing cabinets.

Also present at the Thursday's opening were National Democratic Council Chairman, Mr Bruce Adams and Regional Vice Chairman, Mr Latchman Sammy. Sammy joined with Jeffrey in urging the community to maintain the building.


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