Our Frontline Worker of the Week is… Dr. Giresh Sadeo

Dec 13, 2020 News

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“COVID is not an isolated disease; it’s like any other illness in medicine and all healthcare providers should work along with it in the best interest of patients.”

By Malisa Playter-Harry

Kaieteur News – As we continue to highlight the selfless work health care workers provide to the communities and the country at large, this week we feature the exuberant and friendly Dr. Giresh Sadeo.
Dr. Sadeo has been practicing medicine for the past seven years and has been attached to the Skeldon Public Hospital for the last five years. Aside from his work as a medical doctor at the hospital, Dr. Sadeo is one of those health care workers who have been working along with the Region Six COVID-19 Taskforce.
His responsibilities include screening and contact tracing. However, before explaining the important role he is tasked with during this pandemic, let me unveil another aspect of this doctor’s life.
Dr. Sadeo who shares a close relationship with his sibling, Sangeeta Sadeo, was born and raised at Number 72 Village, Upper Corentyne, Berbice, Dr. Sadeo attended the Massiah Primary School at Number 71 Village and then graduated and moved on to the Tagore Memorial Secondary School. He graduated in the year 2005 and began his tertiary education shortly after at the University of Guyana’s (UG) Tain Campus to pursue an associate degree in Chemistry. After just one year at UG he was given the opportunity to apply for a scholarship and was accepted. This allowed him to further his studies in Cuba. On the 22nd November 2006, Dr. Sadeo left for Cuba and studied medicine there for seven years.

The doctor mentioned that it was always his desire to become a doctor. He credits his uncle, Dr. Pooran Seepersaud, as the inspiration behind that choice of career. His uncle has been practicing medicine for the past 33 years and noted that during his years of studies his uncle would have assisted him. But realizing success was not without struggles for the doctor. Dr. Sadeo said, since finances were not available while he was studying at UG, he was grateful for a scholarship he got from the government of Guyana.
After completing his studies in Cuba, Dr. Sadeo did his internship in that country under a pilot programme that was offered through collaboration between the governments of Guyana and Cuba.
When he returned to Guyana he was dispatched to the New Amsterdam Hospital and was later sent to the Skeldon Hospital where he spent three months before returning to the former institution where he spent an additional 18 months. Dr. Sadeo also spent a few days at the Mibicuri Hospital, Black Bush Polder, and then was sent back to the Skeldon Hospital where he
said during an interview that “I had a professor during my studies, who said to always prepare for the worse.” It is that little bit of advice that has prepared him for the health crises currently gripping the world.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic and with the alarming rise in cases of the novel coronavirus in Region Six, Dr. Sadeo is one of the few doctors working along with the taskforce there to facilitate screening and contact tracing. With Skeldon being the gateway to backtrack, Dr. Sadeo said persons entering the country from Suriname or other parts have to be screened and in some cases tested.
But it was not until recently when the cases began to rise in the region, particularly in Orealla/Siparuta, that Dr. Sadeo, along with a team of frontline workers, was sent to the community of Orealla to help with screening and treating. He added that it was challenging in the beginning since it was his first time going to Orealla but added, that “after going, the experience was a good one. Normally we think of Orealla as an underdeveloped community but I discovered it is a treasure island.” The doctor stated that the people in Orealla made his job quite easy during his five-day stay there. According to him, they were very understanding of what was happening and what was required of them as the cases of COVID in their community have been increasing.
“They were very cooperative and everyone understood what they had to do and it made my job easier; it helped to contain the disease,” he said.
Dr. Sadeo said that after completing his stay in Orealla, he returned to Skeldon and was required to do a COVID test after which he isolated at home until his test result returned.
Although he shares a two-flat home with his parents, Dr. Sadeo said that he confined himself separately in the upper flat.
When his results eventually returned negative, he resumed duties at the Skeldon Hospital.
He believes that, “COVID is not an isolated disease; it’s like any other illness in medicine and all healthcare providers should work along with it in the best interest of patients.”
Good-natured and sociable are only two of the many ways that could be used to shine light on the type of individual he is. His caring approach to dealing with patients has essentially caused him to be known as an approachable medical practitioner.
Quoting Bob Marley, he describes himself as being quite self-sufficient and believes that “the greatness of a man is not how much wealth he requires, but in his integrity and ability to affect those around him positively.”
Dr. Sadeo expressed pleasure in utilizing his skills in his community and stated that it makes him happy he can serve in his own community and by extension his country. The doctor said that he lives his life by the notion that life is about “what we can do for others” and it has not failed him along the way since.
In addition to being actively involved during the pandemic, Dr. Sadeo is also the Coordinator of blood drives at the Skeldon Hospital for the past five years. He stated that his blood drives are done in collaboration with the blood bank at the New Amsterdam Hospital.
He recalled that a blood drive he coordinated in 2018 made history since it attracted 102 persons.
Dr. Sadeo has been conducting two blood drives per year; he has one planned for Friday December 18, 2020 which will be conducted under strict COVID-19 protocols.
His advice to members of the public is “continue to follow the guidelines and remember to always wear your masks as you go about your daily routines.”

 

 

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