Hundreds flock Leonora Primary School for Guyana Watch Medical Outreach

Jul 28, 2012 News

– team treats 2,271 patients in five days
Sixty-eight-year-old Sunita Ganga, of Anna Catherina, West Coast Demerara walked out of the Leonora Primary School smiling yesterday, her hands filled with free medication for her ailments that included high blood sugar.
She was among the scores of residents from Den Amstel, Stewartville and

Dr. Reddy as he extracted a child’s tooth

other nearby communities on the West Coast Demerara who turned up at the free medical clinic put on by Guyana Watch, a non-governmental organization made up of mostly overseas-based Guyanese that has been bringing a team of doctors to Guyana for the past 20 years.
Sandra Singh, of Den Amstel, said that she decided to go see the “white doctors” because at the local health centre where she goes, she is being forced to wait for several hours before she sees the doctor.
Singh is a diabetic. Yesterday she visited the doctors and had a complete check-up done.
“I am thankful for de little I get. This de second time I come here and I getting good stuff. When I go to dem other health centres I does got to wait long, long but here I was seen by a doctor. In less than an hour I get treatment. I glad if them coulda at least come here two times a year.”
She thanked the doctors for coming to Guyana to offer their assistance.
Savitree Narine took her seven-year-old son to visit the paediatricians. She said since last year her son caught an infection on his hand and it is not “going away no matter what medication I use. I am so fed-up because I bought everything people tell me about. I took him to private, public but it is the same thing.”
“They give him two sets of cream and some vitamins. I am just praying that this thing works.”
She was thankful for the medication she received from the Guyana Watch team. She said that she is also happy for the advice she received from the doctors. “You don’t find doctors taking their time and give you advice. They does hurry, hurry and look at you to go home,” Narine stated.
But it is not only the patients attending the clinic who find satisfaction. General Doctor. Kevin McCabe said that he is “extremely happy” to be in Guyana to offer his service. McCabe said it is his third year here, doing voluntary work.
According to the general practitioner, since he is here, he has seen about 200 patients so far.

The pharmacist distributing medication to patients

He said that most persons he has seen so far are either suffering from arthritis, high-blood pressure or high-blood sugar.
“You have to expect that because here in Guyana the people are walking a lot and are doing a lot of work, so when they reach 50, they start suffering from pains,” McCabe said.
The team also saw 52 children from the Kitty Orphanage and 19 from the Prabhu Sharan Orphanage.
Guyana Watch was established 20 years ago when a group of overseas colleagues and friends saw the need for health care in Guyana.
In just five days, the team of doctors has seen 2,271 patients. Today the Medical Watch team would be visiting the Belle West Primary School.