New Executive elected to lead Guyana Anesthesiologist Society

Apr 13, 2018 News

Regarded as arguably the only medical specialist society in Guyana, the Guyana Anesthesiologist Society [GAS] has been in existence for just over three years with a primary focus on promoting safe anesthetic practices.
With members who are physicians practising anaesthesia, the Society was first established in 2015.
In addition to promoting safety, the body is one that also gives keen attention to raising public awareness about anaesthesia services.
To advance this effort, the Guyana Anesthesiologist Society recently held its Annual General Meeting [AG] where new office bearers were elected to the Executive Committee. Among the elected are Dr. Alexandra Harvey who will serve as the Society’s President.
Dr. Harvey currently holds the position of Director of the Institute of Health Sciences Education [IHSE] at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation [GPHC].
Also elected to sit on the GAS Executive Committee are Dr. Shonette Boyer – Secretary; Dr. Youlanda Hendricks – Treasurer; Dr. Fernando Ramirez – Public Relations Officer and Dr. Umang Shanker -Ordinary Member.
The new executive has already announced its enthusiasm to continue to lead the Society and to function in an advisory capacity to Guyanese on anesthesia related matters.
An anesthesiologist is a medical doctor who specializes in giving patients anaesthesia. Anaesthesia is only given to patients who undergo surgery to relieve pain or to put these patients to sleep for the duration of the surgery. However, this professional is also known to provide care to patients before, during and after surgery.
According to a report endorsed by the World Health Organisation [WHO], the need for anaesthesia services at all levels of health care and its potential contribution to reducing mortality and morbidity is an important first step to secure political commitment and local investments in making these services available in an equitable manner.
It has, however, been deduced that this requires data collection to estimate the burden of surgical diseases, number and type of anaesthesia providers, impact and cost-effectiveness of surgical and anaesthesia services in various settings.

Members of the newly elected Executive Committee. From left: Dr. Shonette Boyer, Dr. Fernando Ramirez, Dr. Youlanda Hendricks, Dr. Alexandra Harvey and Dr. Umang Shanke.

But according to the report, “there is not enough recognition of the need for surgical and anaesthesia services at all levels of the health system and their potential to reduce mortality and morbidity.”
It was pointed out in the report that there exists a serious lack of equitable services in developing countries, especially in rural and remote areas. It was, however, outlined that creating awareness through better documentation of the burden of disease, in terms of death and disability that can be prevented by availability of surgical and anaesthesia services, would be an important step to generate political commitment and local investments in education, training and retention of the health workforce.
It was further amplified in the report that “This needs to be followed up by appropriate policies, legislation, and the establishment of innovative and effective anaesthesia training programmes that address both the immediate need as well as the long-term needs of the health system.”

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