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Revamped policies lend to reduced infant mortality – Dr. Singh
Improving neonatal care is a key element in helping to reduce infant mortality. This notion was emphasised by Dr. Narendra Singh when he made a presentation at the Georgetown Public Hospital Scientific conference, recently.
The Canadian-based physician is currently the External Director of the recently introduced Residency Paediatric Programme being offered by the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation’s Institute of Health Science Education.
Dr. Narendra Singh
According to Dr. Singh, Guyana has been able to do a phenomenal job in reducing the under five mortality rate, a development he attributes to policies the government has implemented over the years.
“They have done an unbelievable job in bringing down the under five mortality (rate) and because they have done such a good job with the basic illnesses now things are starting to balloon relatively.”
However, Dr. Singh said that in order for things to continue to improve there is need for earnest focus in the neonatal area which requires technical skills and comprehensive knowledge in the field, a juncture he is confident Guyana has reached.
It is the view of Dr. Singh that while improvement has been observed at the GPHC it must not be limited to that facility. Rather, it must be expanded to New Amsterdam, West Demerara, Suddie and all of the other health facilities across the country.
With this proposal in mind Dr. Singh, along with other health officials, travelled to New Amsterdam where the issue of improved neonatal care was addressed.
It was just recently that the GPHC, with the support of the University of Guyana, introduced a Masters in Paediatric Programme aimed at training those already operating in the system to help bolster neonatal care.
There are reportedly only two certified paediatricians in Guyana, a state of affairs which suggests the need for more experts to be trained to help improve the delivery of service.
“When you look at what we have here per capita we need more paediatricians in the system and the onus is to increase the complement of paediatricians.” It was against this background Dr. Singh said that the Residency Programme was formulated and kicked into motion last month.
The intent, according to him, is to admit a total of three graduates to the three-year programme on a yearly basis although this year it has kicked off with five candidates who he regarded as the “best possible persons we can have at this time.
They have been in the paediatric field for many years.” The candidates for the inaugural programme are Clive Bowman, Seeperssaud Chatterdeo, Radha Luknauth, Arnelle Sparman and Sherelyn Stanton.
The programme, Dr. Singh said, too, will be taught primarily by external faculty members from the University of Toronto and the University of McMaster where he himself lectures. “We have so far in excess of 20-odd volunteer faculties who have already started coming down every month for approximately two weeks at a time…and during these periods teaching will occur at the bedside.”
Teaching, he said, will include didactic sessions regularly during the week, problem base learning and there will be twice a week teleconferencing via skype. The teaching process is expected to be completed within a two year period after which the senior residents will be expected to take on a more teaching role, Dr Singh asserted.
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