Guyana’s EMS continues to gain international recognition

Nov 26, 2017 News

The Guyana Emergency Medical Services (EMS) model was recently recognised again for its work in EMS development.
Dr. Zulfikar Bux, Medical Director of the Guyana EMS, was recently given the honour of being the Keynote speaker at the Vermont Healthcare and EMS-prepared conference which was held on November 9-12, 2017 in the United States.
This honour was bestowed on Dr. Bux in recognition of his work on EMS development in Guyana and the successful model that has been initiated locally. The model has been widely accepted and there have been demands from other Caribbean countries for assistance to develop their EMS systems.
Dr. Bux noted that his presentation was well received and the Vermont EMS have committed to sending a team to assist the EMS development here in Guyana and add strength to the international partnerships that Guyana’s EMS has already forged with other international EMS agencies.
“Having such recognition helps to build relationships with developed EMS systems. EMS development is a challenge anywhere in the word; having the experience of these international partners will save us time and resources” Dr. Bux noted.
The initiation of an EMS system in a resource-challenged setting with mainly local leadership and sustenance is a ground-breaking venture, and this was the main reason why the Guyana EMS caught the attention of the Vermont Healthcare and EMS system.

Dr. Zulfikar Bux, with Mr. Dan Batsie, Chief of EMS in Vermont, during his presentation.

The Guyana EMS was officially launched in November 2016, and is a collaboration between the EMS office of the Ministry of Public Health and the Guyana Fire Services, to provide emergency medical care for members in the public domain. There are currently 54 trained Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) that are working on three Ambulances to deliver emergency medical care and transport for persons that require emergency medical care in the public domain.
According to Dr. Bux, the venture has proven its worth thus far by responding to 2,400 emergency calls within its first year of existence.
“Many lives have been positively impacted by this service” Dr. Bux stated. He was also in high praise for Fire Chief Mr. Marlon Gentle and the Guyana Fire Services for adopting this model and collaborating to ensure its success.
“It was an anticipated challenge to have two agencies from different Ministries intimately collaborating to deliver EMS to the public. But it is the model that was most practical in our setting and it had to work,” Dr. Bux said.
“While we have a far way to go, I am optimistic that we will get there given the relationship and drive that these two agencies have. Mr Gentle and his team have shown the willingness to evolve and adopt this modernised model and have welcomed us with open arms. Credit must be given to him and his team for the successes that we have achieved thus far,” Dr. Bux stated.
But while there would have been many positives, the Guyana EMS has had to delay its projected expansion for 2017 due to a few challenges. Dr. Bux said that plans are being made to expand the services within Region Four and Berbice area for 2018. He stated that “This is a new and unique model and it involves managing the lives of our people. We have to get it right; there isn’t room for error, and quality improvement is vital as we expand. Challenges such as Ambulance accidents, rebuilding the human resource capacity, appropriate administration and training exposures of the EMTs needed to be addressed before we continue the expansion.”
Dr. Bux is optimistic that the Guyana EMS is here to stay and will continue along the path to coverage for all in 2018.

Discover more from Kaieteur News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Latest News