Equitable health services for hinterland communities – Health Minister

Dec 19, 2011 News

It will not be business as usual at the Ministry of Health, as according to recently appointed Minister of Health, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran, high on his agenda for the Ministry is equity of access, value for dollar of investment, quality services and clientele satisfaction.

Minister of Health, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran

These factors, he noted, are recognized as crucial factors that will be addressed under his watch in the drive for improved delivery of health care.
The Minister, during an interview with this publication, revealed that his Ministry is already looking at ways to bring more services to far-flung communities even as he insisted that the established urban and other developed centers will no longer be the only focus.
However, in the event that services are not available in some areas, the Minister revealed that systems are being created to bring much needed services to patients.
This, he said, will occur in instances when it is discovered that it is not financially feasible for certain services to be taken to some communities.
And this strategic move will be effectively accomplished through the Ministry’s Medical Evacuation Programme which sees some $20M being expended on an annual basis to facilitate the operation of just over 100 flights, Dr. Ramsaran disclosed.
This programme, according to him, has been of great benefit to many in the hinterland communities suffering from health challenges such as complicated pregnancies, acute surgical conditions, snake bites, gunshot wounds and other injuries.
Equity of Service is also made possible through the Ministry’s Medical Outreach programme, which the Minister said is being constantly bolstered through expanded training programmes where more health professionals such as nurses, doctors and medexes are being added to the health sector.
He pointed out that although the requisite level of service may not be available in far-flung communities, the Ministry is able to periodically take the necessary personnel, equipment and supplies to those communities.
“We hope to take our visiting teams more frequently and with less and less intervals between them…and in the cases where we cannot take those teams, or the patient is in such a critical condition we are able to do medical evacuation to a center of excellence,” the Minister noted.
According to him, the Ministry has been able to build a robust primary health care network that has been expanded significantly, and represents a very notable achievement of the ruling administration.
Additionally, he pointed out that several more health centers have been developed across the country, revealing that since 2006 the infrastructure of health has been practically redone with construction in the past 10 years of at least 10 new hospitals.
Among the new health facilities are those at Diamond, Suddie, Leonora and Mahaicony. According to the Minister “there was no hospital at Diamond and so we have put one there which is getting a good reputation for itself.
The other areas we had hospitals but they were relatively small and we have now expanded them significantly…so where in the past you might have had three and four doctors at these facilities, and in the case of Mahaicony only one, we now have as much as seven and eight and in recent times 15.”
He explained that while the doctors at these facilities are predominantly foreign professionals, Guyana has for the past three years been making strides to add young Guyanese graduate doctors, a strategic move which is aimed at ensuring equitable delivery of service.

3 thoughts on “Equitable health services for hinterland communities – Health Minister”

John Budzo Singh December 19, 2011 at 10:16 am

19 years, dem now discover far flung communities need health care?

Lets get another spectacle distribution going. This government is funny absolutely funny.
nycsprep December 19, 2011 at 11:27 am

usmle step 2 preparation
It is divided into two units of which the first one is designed to test fundamental knowledge on practicing medicine. The second unit focuses on clinical skills only. This is a 15 minutes practical exam. This exam was mandatory for foreign graduates only, but, now it is mandatory for both local and foreigners. This exam addresses various topics like preventative medicine , differential diagnosis and patient management.
dannyvid December 19, 2011 at 2:04 pm

What happen, it wasn’t equitable all the time?