Linden Hospital staff lauded for professionalism during protest

Sep 08, 2012 News

Minister of Health, Dr Bheri Ramsaran, has described the actions of the Chief Executive Officer and the health workers of the Linden Hospital Complex as “quiet, professional and well organised” in the face of the aftermath of recent protest action.
The Minister’s remarks came hours ahead of visiting the mining town on Thursday to meet with Chief Executive Officer, Dr Farouk Riyasat, and his team of health workers along with the recently inaugurated hospital board.

Minister of Health, Dr Bheri Ramsaran

The Minister during an interview with this publication Thursday said that not only did Dr Riyasat keep in constant contact with the Ministry of Health throughout the difficult period but he “kept his team together and maintained a good moral standard and so I have to note the excellent work that was done there.”
The Minister also lauded the support that was rendered by the Chinese and Cuban medical workers who, according to him, were on the job and working although they were subsequently withdrawn from the area for security reasons. They were returned after the protest action subsided, the Minister said.
The Linden protest action which commenced on July 18, last, had fatal consequences when police allegedly shot live rounds into a gathering of protestors killing three.
According to the Minister, the Ministry during that period was able to airlift some 3,000 pounds of supplies including medication, at the request of the CEO.
“We were even able to get blood in through the blocked bridge within the first hours of the protest so we were able to keep the facilities there supplied.” However Minister Ramsaran said that his Ministry’s effort would have been of “no consequence” had there not been a strong, stable and mature leadership which was exemplified in the person of Dr Riyasat. “He did well and no doubt his support staff did well too and I have to personally thank the doctors who worked there especially the young Guyanese doctors who stuck to their guns during this period,” the Minister added.
The outstanding mode of operation at the Linden Hospital was effectively backed by the response of health workers in Georgetown through the likes of Dr Irv Chan, Director of Regional Health Services, Minister Ramsaran said.
“He helped to keep things moving…in a jiffy they were able to get the supplies needed to keep the hospital going on that particular fatal day and of course Dr Riyasat did well with keeping the patients who came out of the conflict well and we were quickly able to airlift one particular patient within 40 minutes of the final decision by a professional team at the hospital….there was no intervention by the Regional Executive Officer or the Chairman for that matter; it was solely a decision by Dr Riyasat’s team and within 40 minutes of that decision the patient was already at Camp Ayanganna (Georgetown).”
Linden, according to the Minister, has benefited from the ‘Visionary Enlighten Policy’ of the government through which a national cadre of graduate doctors was created. Some of these doctors, the Minister said, are now specialising in a number of areas.
At present Linden has a complement of these young doctors, a quota which sufficed even when the foreign medical workers were withdrawn as a security precaution during the course of the protest action, Minister Ramsaran said.
Minister Ramsaran added, yesterday, too that several members of the community even at the height of the unrest had kept in communication with the Ministry to indicate their satisfaction with the operation of the hospital.