Health Ministry looking to better cater to persons with disability

Nov 06, 2014 News

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 – as inaugural Rehab Strategic Plan is launched

Two aspects of health care in Guyana are relatively on the back-burner but are however gaining more attention by the relevant authorities.  This was the admission of Minister of Health, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran, as he alluded to the issues of mental health, disabilities and rehabilitation medicines. “Lest I be misquoted I am saying this relatively…there has been lots of attention by the professionals in these two areas (mental health and disabilities and rehab medicine) in making the situation change for the better,” said Dr. Ramsaran.
The Minister’s disclosure was forthcoming even as he delivered the feature address at the launch of an inaugural National Rehabilitation Services Strategic Plan. The move is in fact, one that represents an ambitious feat for the Ministry of Health and by extension the whole of Guyana in the history of Rehabilitation Services. This auspicious undertaking, which occurred at the Kingston, Georgetown, Pegasus, hotel, was characterised by a formal launch of the Strategic Plan intended to guide the way forward until 2020.
Moreover, the launch yesterday was described by Dr. Ramsaran as “a special day” as, according to him, it directs focus to a special faction of the population – people living with disabilities. The subject of disability in particular, is one that has not been gaining immense attention.
And although efforts are being made to address it, Minister Ramsaran disclosed that stigma and other unsavoury developments accentuate the realisation that there is yet need for a great deal of work.  “I am happy that we are about to bring out a glossy document but at the same time, I am happy that it is not simply a glossy document but it is a document that has engaged, over a considerable period, the energies, the passion of a small but dedicated group of professionals…,” said Dr. Ramsaran.
Even as she sought to detail the intent of the Strategy, Director Acting of the Health Ministry’s Rehabilitation Service, Ms Debita Harripersaud, outlined some local disability statistics. According to her, based on the national census of 2002, 6.4 per cent of the population are persons with disabilities. “With the prevalence indicated and a projected prevalence over the years, it was projected that at 2014 just over 50,000 would have been living with disabilities,” said Harripersaud who however, pointed out that the census then did not take into consideration those institutionalised, homeless or even those with temporary disabilities.  “If we were to actually give a more relevant and actual projection of the number of persons with disabilities, it is actually reaching to a number of 200, 000 persons in our present year actually,” said the Rehab Director.
Currently, the profile of persons with disability classifies persons being poor, elderly, uneducated and unemployed said Harripersaud, as she pointed out that “still unfortunately we have a vicious cycle of poverty and disability.”
Moreover, it is expected that the Strategic Plan will cater to advancing the well-being of all persons with disabilities in Guyana, reduce inequities, and strengthen the capacity of the health system to deliver quality, effective and responsive disability rehabilitation services.
And according to Resident Representative of the Pan American Health Organisation, Dr. William Adu Krow, PAHO (Guyana), PAHO is pleased to be involved in the timely undertaking. He pointed out that its realisation is in fact, the fruition of many months of work on the part of staff members as well as institutional partners who collaborated towards the common cause. The PAHO Representative pointed out too that “this Strategy takes into consideration the global agenda for health and disability, allowing partnership at all levels, whether through Government or non-government agencies.”
As such, he noted that the Strategy was built on the principle values of the Health Ministry’s Health Vision 20/20 which speaks to: health as a human right; health equity, accessibility and non-discrimination; patient centred care; solidarity and social participation and evidence-based planning.
But according to Dr. Adu Krow, if the Strategy is only seen as merely a Strategy it will in fact remain “on the shelf.” He therefore, expressed optimism that having being launched it will be operationalised into work plans so as to ensure that the Health Ministry and its partners, and especially the United Nations family from which it can gain much needed assistance, can continue to collaborate.
The launch which saw the attendance of a modest cross-section of stakeholders also attracted input from PAHO’s Regional Advisor for Disability and Rehabilitation, Dr. Armando Vasquez, and a rehabilitation expert of the University of New Orleans and World Confederation of Occupational Therapy.

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