Monthly psychiatric services being demanded for Region Seven -as efforts are made to bridge gap in healthcare delivery

Jul 06, 2018 News

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A call has been made for the Ministry of Public Health to revise its decision to offer quarterly rather than monthly visits of a psychiatrist to attend to patients of Region Seven [Cuyuni/Mazaruni].

This was the disclosure of Regional Health Officer [RHO] of Region Seven, Dr. Edward Sagala, as he delivered a presentation at the ongoing Regional Health Services meeting being held at the Lake Mainstay Resort, Pomeroon/Supenaam [Region Two].
In his presentation Dr. Sagala disclosed that patients, and by extension the Region, have been advocating for government to restore the monthly visits of psychiatrist, Dr. Bhiro Harry, to the mining area.
“This decision of quarterly visits needs to be revisited since the 26 patients who depend on this service are the ones suffering,” related Dr. Sagala. At the time, he was delivering a 64-page report which encapsulated the delivery of health care in Region Seven.
As part of his presentation, he said the patients suffering from neuropsychiatric disorders, or mental illnesses in the Region have been known to look forward to Dr. Harry and his mental health team’s monthly visits. “It was a good thing which the patients liked since they didn’t have to travel long distances anymore as far as Parika or Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation [GPHC] to receive mental health treatment,” Dr. Sagala said.
The monthly clinic, he said, has been well-received by patients not only from Bartica and its environs but also from mental health patients from Essequibo Islands/West Demerara [Region Three]; Potaro/Siparuni [Region Eight] and Upper Demerara/Berbice [Region 10].
In Guyana, neuropsychiatric disorders are believed to affect some 25 percent of the country’s 750,000 multi-racial population, with women, young adults and ranks of the unemployed being the most vulnerable.
At the national level, mental health is ranked among the central planks of the government’s overall public health programme with the Public Health Ministry giving it prominence in the service priorities of the 2013-2020 National Health Sector Strategy.
The stated vision of the Strategy is “that the people of Guyana are among the healthiest in the Caribbean and the Americas”.
This plan was developed jointly between the Public Health Ministry, the Mental Health team of the GPHC and the Pan American Health Organisation [PAHO] Guyana. It outlines strategic actions on how to implement and scale-up interventions and primary care services for mental health.
The Ministry established a Mental Health Unit, which is headed by a specialist, Dr. Util Richmond-Thomas. The Mission Statement of the new department is, “To promote, coordinate and implement technical activities and actions directed towards strengthening the national capacity to develop policies, plans, programmes and services, thus contributing to the promotion of mental health, the reduction of the burden of the psychiatric diseases, prevention of disabilities and the development of rehabilitation.
Dr. Sagala said, yesterday, that there has been a notably improved quality healthcare especially at the Bartica Regional Hospital, a development, which has resulted from the assigning of eight medical specialists to that institution.
The types of medical specialists include a General Surgeon, Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Paediatrician, Internist, Dermatologist, Anaesthesiologist, Orthpaedic/Trauma Surgeon and Radiographer.
During the review period over 15,000 patients were seen between these medical specialists and over 400 surgeries were performed and, according to Dr. Sagala, this allowed for a drastic reduction of referrals to GPHC, which was previously over-burdened.
He, moreover, commended the Ministry for introducing such an initiative, which has and continues to be well appreciated by the hinterland community.
In the past, specialist care was not available in the hinterland areas except during medical outreaches.
The initiative, he therefore added, has essentially helped to bridge the gap in the quality of healthcare delivery available between the coastal and hinterland areas.
Dr. Sagala therefore underscored that the continuation of this initiative is critical to ensure equitable healthcare to the populace.
Meanwhile, Dr. Sagala in his presentation also highlighted the fact that the Region has been haemorrhaging trained health workers.
“We seem to be training different categories of health workers, but the challenge remains that of retention,” he explained.
“The reasons for this problem are various and the solutions will have to be dealt at a national level.”
Although a lot has been achieved during the year under review, Dr. Sagala said that Region Seven “continues to face challenges in the areas of human resources, repairs of medical equipment, accommodation for all categories of healthcare providers and the chronic shortage of basic medical supplies.”
Added to this, he said that malaria, dengue, gastrointestinal and respiratory disorders, snakebites, accidents, trauma and violence, sexually transmitted infections [STIs], teenage pregnancy, suicide attempts and conditions related to substance abuse remain major health challenges within the region.
Some 28,000 to 30,000 persons inhabiting the sprawling interior mining community seek medical attention for hypertension, heart disease, gastrointestinal disorders, diabetes, vector-borne diseases, malaria, dengue, pregnancy-related conditions, skin conditions, snake bites, accidents, trauma, violent acts and mental disorders in that order.
Dr. Sagala said the five leading causes of death in Cuyuni/Mazaruni are respiratory disorders, gastro-intestinal conditions, neonatal conditions [sepsis, prematurity] multifactorial [accidents and trauma] and congenital malformations.
STIs, teenage pregnancy, attempted suicide and substance abuse, especially the use of alcohol and drugs, are emerging challenges for Regional officials, Dr. Sagala said.

 

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