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GPHC urged to adopt CICU model to help improve services
Having observed that the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation utilises an outstanding operational plan, Minister of Public Health, Ms. Volda Lawrence, has voiced a call for
Minister of Public Health, Ms. Volda Lawrence, interacts with Dr. Wayne Warnica in the presence of Ms. Kesaundra Alves and Mr. Sheik Amir.
the rest of the hospital to adopt a similar structure.
The CICU which offers free cardiac services to members of the public falls under the Guyana Programme to Advance Cardiac Care (GPACC).
GPACC operates in partnership with the Libin Cardiovascular Institute and Global Health and International Partnerships/University of Calgary of Canada, the Ministry of Public Health and the GPHC.
According to Minister Lawrence she is hopeful that the semi-autonomous public health entity will, as a whole, adopt a blueprint of the CICU model of operation in order to effectively deliver its other services.
Lawrence made her disclosure during a tour of the modern facility housed at the top floor of the city referral institution where she viewed the operation of the CICU.
“I am extremely happy by the accommodation made by the hospital administration to ensure that this particular unit can be established and at high efficiency levels. I believe we can use this as a role model for other aspects of health care at the GPHC,” Lawrence said.
The GPACC was developed and implemented under the directions of University of Calgary specialists’ doctors – Debra Issac, Clinical Professor of Medicine and Cardiology, and Wayne Warnica, Emeritus Professor of Cardiac Sciences and Medicine, University of Calgary Alberta, Canada in partnership with Dr. Mahendra Carpen, Head of Cardiology and Cardiologist attached to the Caribbean Heart Institute (CHI).
“There are some of the things that we note that are low hanging fruits that can be addressed, for example the shortage of the personnel, especially since they are being trained”, said Lawrence.
As she recognised the Canadian support that allowed for the establishment of the modern CIUC, the Minister expressed sincere gratitude.
The CICU was re-developed into a fully functioning unit which now has a total of 13 beds, a significant increase from the four it initially started with in mid-2016.
Dr. Warnica explained that ever since the establishment of the CICU patients have been privileged to have specialised treatment and care. “We put through more than 50 patients a month and most of them are very sick,” he disclosed.
According to Warnica, the GPACC became fully operational in June 2016. During his stint at the GPHC, his team would have managed and treated thousands of patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases, the youngest patient being 14 years of age.
The GPACC aims to advance cardiac care for adults and children in a sustainable way, and build capacity in the public health system in Guyana through provision of clinical cardiac services along with education of Guyanese physicians, nurses, pharmacists, echo-sonographers, and other allied health providers working as part of the cardiac team.
Meanwhile, the Minister noted that her Ministry will be working closely with a Committee to ensure that the establishment of the Dr. Yesu Persaud Medical Centre gets on stream at the earliest date.
“We believe that such a facility will enable the hospital and its staff and also the university students to benefit more from what’s being done here. I am happy that we can provide the services where person can come here and get the attention and go back to their families,” the Public Health Minister added.
But, according to the Minister, she is nevertheless concerned about care patients receive after they are discharged from hospitals across the country. She moreover reminded that that Community Health Workers (CHWs) have a very important role to play at the primary health care facilities since ‘aftercare’ is of vital importance to every patient.
“We have to ensure that when persons return to their community they don’t go back to the traditional medicine but continue to access the kind of care they need. Many times we as a people are not cognisant of how important a step by step process is,” she continued.
Present at the recent tour of the CICU were Ms. Kesaundra Alves, Chairperson of the GPHC Board; Mr. Sheik Amir, Director of Medical and Professional Services; Mr. Allan Johnson, GPHC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Dr. Wayne Warnica.
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