Over the years, Chief Executive Officer of the Berbice Regional Health Authority, Dr. Vishwa Mahadeo has been stressing the need for public servants to be more accountable to the people they serve.

According to him, members of the public rightfully deserve a chance to have a say in the day to day management of the facilities and what they think is needed in the sector.

He explained that with this system in place, the residents would be empowered and be in a better position to demand only the best. Recently the Williamsburg Health Center on the Corentyne established a management committee and the five members are prepared to take development to another level. That group is to meet with Health Officials within two weeks to identify a work plan.

Dr. Mahadeo explained that every fortnight, a health center in Region Six, East Berbice Corentyne would have a week to call their own until all 26 health centers are completed.

During the health center week, there would be a number of activities including a day of prayer, community based happenings, and the Friday must be identified as the Health Center Day.

The next Health Center Day would be at the Bush Lot Health Center on July 17th.

In giving a synopsis of the services offered at the Maternal and Child Health centers in Region Six, Senior Health Visitor, Terry Davis indicated that the system is now undergoing changes that would ensure more family oriented care.

To take a step up from a health center to a family health center, certain criteria must be met. She explained that with this new drive, all the members of the family would have access to information and services to ensure that risk factors for disease remain at a minimum.

At the 26 health centers and posts across East Berbice /Corentyne, a wide range of services can be had. These include safe motherhood, which spans pre-conception care, antenatal, delivery, post natal among other aspects. Young child and adolescent wellbeing clinics are conducted at each center and post. At some of these locations, namely, Williamsburg, Fyrish, and on the Upper Corentyne, there are youth friendly programmes. School health is also a part of the service offered at the health centers. Family planning and contraceptive services for both genders, immunisation for the entire family, prevention of mother to child transmission and voluntary counseling and testing, chronic disease clinics and other services are also had at these facilities.

Community outreach programmes are also held.

In addition, the health centers serve as a data collection base on nutritional and immunisation status, prevalence of disease, deliveries, and breast feeding among other aspects.

The mission of the Material and Child Health Care Delivery team in East Berbice/Corentyne is to promote and improve the health of the region by the provision of a wide range of high quality caring and effective health care services in the prevention of diseases and the promotion of optimum health for all citizens of the region. Nurse, Elma Bristol presented a report on the Williamsburg Health Center for the period June 2008 to May 2009.

The staff at the Williamsburg Health Center comprises a Community Health Worker and a Medex who works also at another location. At the Williamsburg Health Center, the staff is not allowing its limitations to prevent it from offering a high quality of service, but there is need for more staff and security personnel. That center serves 12,000 persons in its Rose Hall Town/Albion catchment area.

Chief Executive Officer of the Berbice Regional Health Authority, Dr. Vishwa Mahadeo is to add a clerk to the staff there and a doctor is to visit the facility on a regular basis. Dr. Mahadeo lauded the center for the job they are doing.

Health Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy said Region Six was the first to comply with his instructions to engage members of the community in the feed back process. On Friday, he witnessed the launching of the community outreach and community feedback programme.

Directing his attention to the newly formed management committee, which is made up of persons from the communities they serve, he encouraged the members to engage the residents in the process.

The facility does not have a vehicle to call their own, but there are members of the neighborhood who would be willing to lend a helping hand.

Minister Ramsammy said that 15 examination beds are soon to be delivered to replace existing ones at health centers. Also the Minister is giving ten motorcycles to Maternity and Child Health officers in Region Six to boost the delivery of service.

The Health Advocate Programme is now being extended across Guyana and within the next few months, 10 communities will be identified to participate in the programme. These persons would be selected by their respective community and trained by the Health Ministry. The Health Advocates would be able to carry out, inter alia, blood pressure and sugar tests, as well as read immunisation cards and be able to deal with other aspects. These persons are expected to make house to house calls. The Health Advocates would not receive a salary, but would be remunerated through a method decided by the community. For example at Parika, that official is paid each month by a different business entity.

These are a few of the steps taken by the Ministry of Health to offer an improved quality of service.