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PROPER HEALTH CARE NEEDED

Apr 21, 2016 Editorial, Features / Columnists

Maternal deaths raise serious concerns about the state of health care in a country. But what was equally bad in Guyana was the recent report by the media that a young mother who had just given birth was forced to breast feed her newborn baby under a bed at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH).
It is callous and disgraceful and has no place in health care. Why did the mother and her newborn baby have to share a bed with another woman? What could have prompted a nurse or doctor to do such a thing? This is ridiculous for a country that is about to spend $300 million to celebrate Guyana’s independence but cannot even provide beds at the GPH for mothers and their newborn babies.
The reality in this case is that the mother who was sharing a bed opted to feed her baby in conditions with which she was comfortable. No nurse or doctor was aware that this was the case until a reporter visited the ward and took the photograph.
But there are other issues. According to media reports, the GPH has been without some basic drugs for weeks but this has been denied by hospital officials, which is normal. The denial by hospital officials that there is no shortage of drugs at GPH has been debunked by several patients who have said that they have been asked to purchase basic medications due to shortages at the GPH. These medications are critical and they include panadol, aspirin, lanoxin injection and 70/30 insulin.
A recent examination revealed that the shortage is rooted in the failure of staff to re-order supplies. It is a question of supervision.
When in opposition, the current Minister of Health had criticized the Minister of Health in the last administration for drug shortages at the GPH. He claimed that only when the media gets involved then officials at the GPH and other health institutions tend to fulfill their mandate towards patients.
The truth is, there is a serious retrogression in the quality of health care rather than a steady improvement under this administration.
It is inconceivable to believe that there are two Ministers of Health and yet the public hospitals are in such terrible shape. Health care is not just a blessing; it is a right for the people. People do have an inalienable right to be healthy, but the state is obligated to provide adequate medical care so that everyone can be healthy.
Indeed, it is the right of every citizen to be afforded with the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health. This right is enshrined in numerous international and regional human rights legal documents, including the Convention on Economic Social and Cultural Rights which Guyana has agreed to.
However, not all countries have the means to provide the best possible health care to its citizens. It could be very costly for developing countries such as Guyana, but governments must continue to invest in the improvement of health care in order to keep their population healthy.
Affordable, accessible and good quality health care should be available to all citizens, irrespective of their socio-economic status in society. Having proper health care could lead to the prevention of deaths.
An intrinsic aspect to proper health care is the provision of equal and timely access to basic preventive, curative and rehabilitative health services.  Every citizen has a right to equal access to quality health care.
In the absence of a clear public policy that informs people what they should be entitled to; they would not know that they are not being afforded proper health care.

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