Latest update January 24th, 2025 6:10 AM

Guyana's largest selling daily and New York's most popular weekly

Latest News

Health Ministry monitoring referrals to GPHC from regional health facilities

Sep 26, 2011 News

 

 

– Dr. Narine Singh

The shortage of technical healthcare practitioners in regional health facilities and the referrals of some minor medical cases that could have been treated within the Regions are pressuring the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).
This is according to Dr. Narine Singh, Director, Regional Health Services, Ministry of Health.
Dr. Singh said that the Ministry has observed that some of the cases that are being referred from regional health facilities to the GPHC could have been treated in the Region. As a result, the Ministry has implemented a system where regional health facilities have to report on all the referrals made on a monthly basis, and why the cases were not dealt with at the regional level, Dr. Singh stated.
He pointed out that GPHC is a tertiary level medical institution and should focus its resources on serious medical conditions. However, in some instances a number of referral cases are out-patient matters.
Dr. Singh emphasized that when inquiries are made to ascertain why certain referrals were made to GPHC, the responses from health practitioners are oftentimes that they could not have dealt with that specific medical case.
As such, within the past two months, 60 cases including surgery for hernia were withdrawn from GPHC and sent to the Regions for attention. The aim is to familiarize patients and potential patients with the services offered at regional health facilities. Moreover, to reduce the pressure from the GPHC so that it can focus on tertiary medical care.
Dr Singh emphasized that many of the doctors who are placed at the regional health facilities are primary practitioners and not specialists; for instance in the region there are only five gynecologists. Dr. Singh explained that if a health practitioner feels that he or she cannot perform a certain medical procedure or that the case needs a specialist’s attention then the referral is justifiable.
Dr. Singh noted that while there is a shortage of healthcare providers, the health system needs other specialized skills such as radiologists. Referring to the West Demerara Regional Hospital, Region Three, Dr. Singh pointed out that there are only two radiologists to operate the X-ray machine. They work 40 hours per week, Monday to Friday, and half day on Saturday and Sunday and therefore if there is a case that requires urgent x-ray, the patient is referred to the GPHC.

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | January, 20th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

West Indies U19 Women secure first win, advance to Super Six with victory over Malaysia

West Indies U19 Women secure first win, advance to Super Six with...

Jan 24, 2025

SportsMax – The West Indies U19 Women’s team clinched their first win of the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup, defeating hosts Malaysia by 53 runs to advance to the Super Six round. After a...
Read More
“We will have a similar approach”

“We will have a similar approach”

Jan 24, 2025

Sam, Fernandes outshine competition at GCF/Moo Milk National U12 chess tourney

Sam, Fernandes outshine competition at GCF/Moo...

Jan 24, 2025

Ramzan, Fraser pilot Demerara U15 to strong win over East Coast U17

Ramzan, Fraser pilot Demerara U15 to strong win...

Jan 24, 2025

Dave West Indian Imports gets Everest Cricket Club’s renovations off the mark

Dave West Indian Imports gets Everest Cricket...

Jan 24, 2025

Interim leadership agreed to dissolve GCF executive issues

Interim leadership agreed to dissolve GCF...

Jan 24, 2025

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.

Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]