Latest update November 26th, 2024 1:00 AM
West Demerara Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit commissioned
The Ministry of Health in its quest to reduce and further eliminate infant mortality yesterday joined hands with Guyana Help the Kids (GHTK), along with the Kissoon family to officially inaugurate the newly established Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH).
Narendra Singh along with the Kissoon brothers unveiling the plaque above the entrance of the neonatal unit.
The establishment of this unit is part of a project set up by GHTK which is a registered Canadian charity, headed by Dr. Narendra Singh to ensure safer delivery for mothers, healthier childhood for babies and to reduce and hopefully end child mortality in the country.
It is the fourth of its kind and is fully equipped with incubators, open care warmers, infant ventilators, CPAP machines, IV and syringe pumps, phototherapy lamps (LED & Fluorescent), monitors, transport incubator, oxygen & humidity therapy devices, and aerosol medication devices along with many others.
The project targets the five main hospitals, Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), New Amsterdam, Linden, West Demerara and Suddie hospitals because a survey conducted showed that they account for 85% of new born babies in the country.
The service was first introduced at the GPHC with the establishment of a 24 -bed level NICU then moved to the New Amsterdam and Linden hospitals.
Speaking at the ceremony, Dr. Singh pointed out that the goals of the project include the development of NICU at the five hospitals with state-of- the-art neonatal equipment, networking all of the NICU by communication and transportation, training of pediatric doctors by a post-graduate residency programme, training of nurses through a neonatal nursing program, establishment of an Infection Control Programme, and the provision of Bio-medical Support and Education.
He added that in September 2013, Dr. Clive Bowman and Dr. Seepersaud Chatterdeo were the first two persons to write the Guyana Pediatric Residency Licencing Exams. In addition, he pointed out that 11 nurses graduated under the Neonatal Nurse Training programme last year while 17 are currently in training.
Dr. Singh also noted that by 2016-2017, the Government of Guyana will eventually take up complete ownership of this programme, that is, when all the units are up and running and there are enough trained professionals to manage them.
A section of the newly commissioned Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the West Demerara Regional Hospital.
He added that in September 2013, Dr. Clive Bowman and Dr. Seepersaud Chatterdeo were the first two persons to write the Guyana Pediatric Residency Licencing Exams. In addition, he pointed out that 11 nurses graduated under the Neonatal Nurse Training programme last year while 17 are currently in training.
Dr. Singh also noted that by 2016-2017, the Government of Guyana will eventually take up complete ownership of this programme, that is, when all the units are up and running and there are enough trained professionals to manage them
The gathering at the event included Dr. Leif Nelin, Division Chief of Neonatology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, Members of the Kissoon family, Dr. Nadia Coleman and medical practitioners and staff of the Ministry of Health.
GHTK has thus far donated CAD$ 900,000 worth in medical equipment and devices for the NICUs at the GPHC, and New Amsterdam and the Linden Hospital Complex over the past two years.
The NICU at the Suddie Hospital, Region Two is expected to be commissioned on Friday.
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