GPHC CEO appeals for relatives to claim abandoned patients

Mar 21, 2018 News

– as Social Workers honoured for their important role

An earnest appeal was yesterday made by Chief Executive Officer [CEO] of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation [GPHC], Brigadier George Lewis, for family members to assist the administration of the hospital by claiming their relatives who have been abandoned at the institution.
The GPHC is the country’s premier public health institution that offers free service to members of the public, some of whom, even after recovering, are forbidden to return home because of the abandonment situation. But Lewis in his appeal yesterday said that the hospital is hoping that these relatives would claim these abandoned patients and care for them.
“The Georgetown Hospital is a medical institution, it is not an institution which deals with abandoned patients,” said Lewis as he continued his appeal.
In his plea he also added, “Do not abandon your relatives because in your opinion they are suffering from a communicable disease such as Tuberculosis [TB].”

GPHC Social Workers flank by Brigadier George Lewis yesterday

According to the CEO, although TB is indeed a communicable disease, it is in fact a very treatable disease.
“Many patients when they come to this institution, after receiving medical attention they are cured, but because of the stigma attached to it, many relatives abandon them. It is not fair to those persons, it is not fair to those children who are abandoned in our wards, it is not fear to those aged persons; so help the administration of the Georgetown Hospital by collecting your relatives,” said Lewis.
His remarks were forthcoming yesterday during a ceremony to honour the Social Workers attached to the GPHC. The ceremony represented the hospital’s efforts to observe World Social Work Day, which is observed annually each year.
World Social Work Day is commemorated to recognise the important role that Social Workers play in the society. As part of the efforts to honour its 13 Social Workers, the management of the GPHC held the appreciation ceremony.
Social Workers at the institution, Lewis said, are on a daily basis tasked with dealing with issues surrounding abandoned patients, whether they are adult or children.
Speaking at the ceremony held in the new Maternity Wing of the hospital, Brigadier Lewis made it pellucid that Social Workers at the GPHC are pivotal to the organisation’s success.
“You play important roles in terms of counselling patients, in some cases, protecting vulnerable patients and I daresay workers too, helping us to cope with medical issues and other stressful issues, inclusive of persons with mental disorders, and in some cases serious behavioural disorders,” said CEO Lewis.
“For your service, your dedication and commitment, we, the Board and Administration of the GPHC, say ‘Thank You,’” said Brigadier Lewis, as he jokingly added, “this activity today is not about what you are going to gain out of it…so I will say to you as the CEO that there will be no raise of salary; so don’t expect any.”
But as he observed that Social Workers are forced to deal with some trying situations at times, Lewis noted, “for all that you do, you should really be recognised.”
As he encouraged the Social Workers to remain dedicated to their profession, Lewis urged them to, “seek to strive for improvement and ensure that nowhere within your work schedule you allow complacency to creep in, because with complacency we will have diminishing returns.”
Among those who also highlighted the importance of the Social Workers at yesterday’s ceremony were: Manager of Social Work, Ms. Fiona McKoy; Dr. Saska Setimer, Medical Registrar at the Industry Health Centre; Ms. Shonell Smith-Enoe, Coordinator of the Social Work Programme at the University of Guyana.