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The Guyana Watch team… US doctors commence medical outreach
A whooping 415 persons were examined and treated yesterday by the Guyana Watch team of medical doctors when the organization hosted its first clinic at the Timehri Government School.
Five of those treated were referred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GHPC) because of the seriousness of their conditions.
The 14-member team of doctors, supported by 18 staff, arrived in Guyana yesterday morning and immediately began the clinic at Timehri.
Patients from Santa Mission and surrounding communities in the Demerara River were provided with transportation to facilitate their visit to the clinic.
Dr. Partha Chatterjee, one of the pediatricians, told Kaieteur News that most of the children he examined had upper respiratory infections and skin rashes.
Other complaints were poor appetite, failure to gain weight, and the common cold.
Diabetes and hypertension were the common sicknesses among adults, Dr. Craig Mochson said.
“There were a number of persons with diabetes and hypertension. What was nice was that we were able to offer some more education to the population at the clinic to make them aware of the importance of taking care of their bodies,” Dr. Mochson said.
But even as the doctors tended to the many persons accumulated at the clinic, there were those who were complimenting the fast and efficient service that they received.
“This is the first time I coming to the clinic and I would recommend anyone to come let the doctor look after them,” one Timehri resident said.
He added that he has diabetes and is grateful for the free medication that he has received.
Paul Chattersingh, another resident from the area, said that it is not often that persons can afford a full medical and as such praised the Guyana Watch team for the initiative.
Like Dr. Mochson, Dr. James Sadock also treated a number of persons for diabetes and high blood pressure.
He said that many of the women he examined had pregnancy issues and irregular bleeding.
According to the doctor, the patients he spoke with yesterday are clearly lacking the resources to visit a doctor often and as such are practising unhealthy lifestyles.
Education about basic diseases is also lacking.
Many of the patients with whom he spoke said that they do not have a specific doctor for their regular checkups.
As the medial doctors finished the day’s session, dentist Chiran Reddy was still busy extracting and cleaning teeth.
He told Kaieteur News that persons are not ‘taking care of their oral hygiene’. A number of those whom he saw yesterday had decaying teeth.
Reddy added that this was mainly among children.
Parents, he added, are responsible for the things they eat.
Children, Reddy said, are fascinated by candies and sweet things but parents need to control their habits.
“To pull out your teeth you have to pay at least $2,500 so I come with my children. Guyana Watch doing a good thing and I must say thanks to them,” another resident commented.
Meanwhile, President of GWI, Tony Yassin, yesterday announced that the team will also be screening children with heart problems.
He is encouraging parents to take completed medicals to anyone of the Guyana Watch clinics, which will be held countrywide, for further evaluation.
Yassin added that yesterday’s activity was conducted without any disruptions.
He complimented the team for conducting the clinic shortly after the long flight from New York yesterday.
At yesterday’s outreach, toothbrushes and toothpaste were distributed to the children who were examined by the dentist.
The team is currently conducting its 16th annual outreach programme to Guyana.
In 2007 Guyana Watch saw 3025 patients and supplied more than US$275,000 in medication.
The team also sent four children for heart surgery at the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, West Chester Medical Center, New York. (Tusika Martin)
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