Berbice health services receive $60M donation boost

Jun 10, 2017 News

Raising the bar of health services for centuries has and will always be a priority. As such, it is compulsory for health institutions to be properly equipped with the necessary medical paraphernalia. With this in mind,

Some of the supplies that were donated.

the combined efforts of Food for the Poor Guyana and the Region Six Regional Administration garnered enough interest and resulted in a whopping $60 Million worth in medical supplies and equipment being donated.
Thirty-eight million dollars is said to be coming from Food for the Poor and the remainder ($22M) from the Regional Administration of Region 6, through Regional Executive Officer Kim Stephens.
It was evident that the team from the Health Department was grateful for the donation, with the Director of Health, Jevaughn Stephens, expressing his gratitude. He made mention of the increase in persons opting to utilize public health care and gradually moving away from private health care. This, he opined, would require more resources that will eventually contribute to better health care within the region.
According to the Health Director, the supplies will be distributed to three medical institutions and 27 health centres, a portion will also be given to the Guyana Police Force’s ‘B’ Division together with the Prison Service. Some of the items included in the donation consist of baby warmers, x-ray machines, microscopes, ventilators, incubators, pediatric scales, wheelchairs together with nine computer systems.
The Director assured that “the region will procure another twelve computers before the end of 2017, but we need thirteen more, so we are asking Food for the Poor and some of our other generous donors to come on board and assist us.” This, he noted, will not go in vain, since plans are in the pipeline to launch a Health Information System in early 2018. The system, he stated, is their way of keeping up with the technological era of an electronic system to keep records, charts etc.
Advisor to the Minister of Public Health, Mr. John Adams, present at the simple handing over, and representing the Minister who was absent due to other engagements, made the call to the health officials in Berbice to utilize the supplies given for its intended purpose. He charged, “you must care it, because as long as you have the equipment and medical supplies it makes your job easier”.
Adams underscored the need to have inventories of the supplies and equipment. According to him “people must be held accountable”. He reiterated that the supplies given should not be at anyone’s homes, but rather, used to provide quality health care in the Region, “you must not take them home, it must not go to anyone’s private pharmacy,” he stressed.
The Advisor expressed his satisfaction in having partnerships with entities such as Food for the Poor, to join in on the agenda to make quality health care a priority. He urged that the Regional Health Services and the Regional Administration continue working together for the good of health in Berbice.
REO Kim Stephens assured that the Region stands committed in improving health care in the Region as any other service provided. “We need to express our sincere gratitude to Food for the Poor. I applaud the director’s efforts to solicit the donation from the NGO”. She implored those in charge of the supplies to take care of them. “If we misuse what we have, we will not be able to deliver on our health services”, the REO posited.
Meanwhile, Mr. Alex Foster, on behalf of Food for the Poor Guyana, stated that yesterday’s donation is one of the many scheduled to take place for the remainder of 2017. He thanked the Ministry of Public Health and Food for the Poor Miami.
The Regional Administration also donated five Samsung cellular phones that will be presented to Mibicuri Black Bush Polder, Orealla, Port Mourant and Plegt Anker, East Bank Berbice Health Facilities respectively.

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