Latest update April 7th, 2026 12:30 AM
GPHC begins observance of Quality & Infection weeks simultaneously
With a focus on improving quality care while at the same time boosting its capabilities in the area of infection prevention and control, the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) yesterday commenced a week (October 20 – 26) of activities.
GPHC’s Quality Improvement Manager, Yolanda Renville
Moreover, the week will be characterised by the commemoration of National Health Care Quality Week, which is being observed under the theme ‘Communicating Quality – The voice for health care improvement’, and Infection, Prevention and Control Week. The latter observance will embrace the theme ‘Pass it on – Infection, prevention and control matters.”
Both sets of activities will be held simultaneously, according to GPHC’s Quality Improvement Manager, Yolanda Renville, who disclosed that both areas fall under the umbrella of Quality Improvement.
And in order to ensure that the commemorations have the desired impact, the public hospital will be collaborating with the Ministry of Health, the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and the Centre for Disease Control (CDC).
The planned activities, according to Renville, kicked off with a fitness walk yesterday which started at the Ministry of Health, headed to the GPHC and culminated at the National Park. Minister of Health Dr Bheri Ramsaran, along with representatives from PAHO and CDC, were among those accompanying top management and off-duty staffers of the public hospital during the walk.
Members of the public were also invited to participate as well, Renville intimated.
Details on the agenda of activities for this week are media programmes to emphasise the importance of quality improvement, and infection, prevention and control which understandably extends to the importance of occupational safety and health, said the Quality Improvement Manager.
Moreover, the media programmes, according to her, will see presentations by officials from the Georgetown School of Nursing and the Chest Clinic.
Renville pointed out that since the Chest Clinic has the technical role of tuberculosis prevention the intention is not only to help persons who would have been infected but also those who are newly diagnosed with the communicable disease. “They (Chest Clinic) have to know how to treat those patients and at the same time enlighten employees who have to be in contact with them (patients) over and over on how to protect themselves,” explained Renville.
The week of activities will also entail similar presentations at the GPHC-operated health centres at Kitty, Campbellville, Industry and the Enmore PolyClinic. According to the GPHC Manager, “if we prevent and control infections, the patients are safer and our staffers are safe as well…and the bigger goal is to deliver quality care.”
The fitness walk to mark the start of the week of activities.
And perhaps the grandest commemorative activity for the week will be an infection prevention and control awareness exhibition at the hospital’s East Street, Georgetown, car park. This activity, according to Renville, will not only allow members of the public to be vaccinated against various forms of infection but it will also showcase some of the work that is done at the GPHC in this regard
Renville insisted that once efforts are made across the board to embrace and engage measures to improve both quality care and infection, prevention and control the GPHC will be in a better place in terms of its operation. “If we get those two right then what we are aiming for can be achieved,” said Renville, as she disclosed that “we have been trying in many areas and in many ways to improve our operation.” In fact she noted that moves have been made, for instance, to appoint a safety and health officer who is tasked with dealing directly with staffers with a view of ensuring that they are properly attired for the job with personal protective gears which include: masks, gloves and gowns.
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