Finola Ambika Permansingh – a doctor on a mission to provide equitable health care

Oct 04, 2020 News

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By Sharmain Grainger

Kaieteur News – With the far-reaching impact of COVID-19, it has long become clear that combatting this disease requires more than just the combined effort of a few. Since the disease was able to penetrate our shores back in March, various levels of health workers, from across the country, volunteered to be a part of teams designated to dealing with COVID-19 cases.

Before taking their place on the frontlines of our nation, they were made aware that this was a colossal risk. Instead of cowering, they opted to wrestle fear into submission in order to get the job done. But as cases increased, so did related deaths. Although the majority of the infected have recovered, this has been heavily dependent on strong immune systems. Moreover, those with a compromised immune system, at the time of infection, are very dependent on the expertise of those within our health care system. Although frontline workers, from the inception, have valiantly held down the fort, the importance of other workers, throughout the system, cannot be underestimated. Health workers, across the board, must play a crucial part in helping to fight the disease. It was against this background that this feature, an idea birthed by the Health Ministry, was initiated. It could, perhaps, be safe to say that our featured ‘Champion Health Care Provider’, Dr. Finola Ambika Permansingh, has seen the battle from all sides and has not only lived to tell the tale but is doing what she must to help rein-in COVID-19. NOT A HOAX While the rate of infection in recent months has been worrying, it is instructive to note that the number of recoveries has been exceptional. According to some reports, this latter development, has resulted in some people choosing to conclude that the disease is a hoax. Dr. Permansingh, who is currently stationed at the Kumaka District Hospital in Moruca, Region One, has knowledge of this state of affairs, noting “there are a lot of people who don’t believe that COVID is real.” But her retort to this is, “COVID is very real…I am speaking from my own personal experience…I was infected in May and spent two months in isolation.” Although she has only been practicing for four years, the recent months of experience gained amid the pandemic has propelled her to another plain, perhaps one more superior to those within the fraternity who have never battled such a plague. Being infected too was a process of learning for

Dr. Permansingh who has since deduced that “the truly essential things in life are health, happiness, family and friends.” Drawing attention to the immense changes in the delivery of health care, she informed, “Now we have to be extra cautious and at the same time continue to deliver the same quality healthcare.” And care must be taken too on occasions when “we have to travel long distances by bus or boat to remote areas to get to some COVID-19 patients or suspected cases.” INSPIRED BY NANI When Calvin Permansingh, a rice farmer, and his wife, Rookmin, welcomed their daughter into the world on June 5, 1991, they had no idea that in 2020 her profession of choice would be immensely tested by a contagion. In preparation for a productive existence, the Better Hope, Essequibo Coast raised Dr. Permansingh, she attended the Better Hope Primary School and then the Anna Regina Multilateral School before heading to the Latin American School of Medicine in Cuba to pursue studies in Medicine. But according to Dr. Permansingh, although she could have easily delved into the field of Veterinary Medicine or Forestry for that matter, the focus simply had to be on humans. This, she explained, was owing to the experience her maternal grandmother endured. “My maternal grandmother, who we all call Nani, was infected with polio as a child and her father had to carry her for miles and miles on his shoulder to get to the nearest doctor.” With the aim of helping to make health care more equitable, Dr. Permansingh decided on a career in Medicine. As a result, from an early age, she started to caress thoughts of becoming a medical practitioner. Though fuelled by medical ambition, she was unable to immediately pursue the desired studies when she graduated from high school. But this didn’t stop this always enterprising young woman from being as productive as possible. “I wasn’t able to get into medical school right away, so I taught high school Math and Biology for seven months,” she casually informed. Eventually she was off to Cuba and, as the saying goes, the rest is history.

MAIN COMMITMENT
Before being sent to Kumaka to practice, Dr. Permansingh had stints at both the Suddie Public Hospital and The Oscar Joseph District Hospital in Charity. Although things have changed immensely when it comes to the delivery of health care, she maintained “my main commitment is trying to get the COVID-19 situation in Moruca under control by tracing contacts, mass testing, isolating confirmed cases and dispersing information on the importance of following the COVID-19 safety measures.” To get the work done, Dr. Permansingh said, “My colleagues and I attached to the Kumaka District Hospital, are trying our best with the available resources. I hope for the continued support of my colleagues and the Ministry of Health.” Because of her commitment to the profession, this young woman, though betrothed, no longer has the luxury of trying to balance work and family time. “I work directly with COVID-19 patients, as such I don’t visit my family for fear of exposing my vulnerable family members.” Even as she continues to join forces with her colleagues to put a dent in the COVID-19 momentum, Dr. Permansingh’s advice to members of the public is simple but to the point. “Be kind to one another. Wearing a mask in public and following COVID-19 safety protocols is an act of kindness towards others. By following the measures, you are not just protecting yourself but also the more vulnerable in society.” WORTHWHILE Even as she recognised the role that each person must play in the fight against the disease, Dr. Permansingh turned her attention to her nursing colleagues, several of whom, from a few public health facilities, staged protest action during the past week to make a point for adequate compensation. But without nurses the gains made to date could easily slip away. Underscoring the crucial role nurses play in the delivery of critical care, Dr. Permansingh said, “even though you (nurses) are always battling on the frontlines, watching one of your patients recover makes it all worthwhile.” And so even as she mentally maps out a future in which she specialises in the field of paediatrics, Dr. Permansingh said her continuance in the health system is hinged on “the knowledge that I contribute to making peoples’ lives better by being involved in improving the health of the population.” For staying to fight another day in the battle against COVID-19, today, with the blessings of the Ministry of Health, we recognise Dr. Permansingh as a ‘Champion Health Care Provider’.

 

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