Our Frontline Worker of the Week is… Oncologist, Latoya Gooding

Oct 24, 2021 News

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“The greatest lesson learnt from dealing with the pandemic is that life is short, one day you are here and the next you’re gone.”

By Sharmain Grainger

Kaieteur News – Although COVID-19 has been taking centrestage in health sectors across the globe, it certainly hasn’t taken attention away from the myriad other health issues that healthcare professionals are faced with on a daily basis.

Among these is cancer, a dreaded chronic disease, which continues to wreak havoc in far too many lives. Moreover, even in dealing with conditions such as cancer, healthcare professionals are well aware that they must guard against COVID-19 as well.
Dr. Latoya Gooding, an Oncologist at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, understands this all too well, as she has been in the forefront treating cancer patients while simultaneously taking the necessary precautions to help safeguard them from COVID-19. “My role is to ensure that all patients accessing care and treatment at the Oncology Department follow all COVID-19 guidelines, hence ensuring the safety of both patients and staff,” she related recently.But despite their continued valiant efforts, adapting to this COVID-19 epoch has certainly not been the easiest of task for those within the health care system. In fact, according to Dr. Gooding, “the greatest lesson learnt from dealing with the pandemic is that life is short, one day you are here and the next, you’re gone.”

Added to this, she revealed that, “it has highlighted our human lacking in simple hygiene practices, such as washing our hands regularly or after contact, sanitising hands and surfaces frequently, etc.”
But she is certainly not deterred by the daunting impact of COVID-19 which has thus far claimed the lives of more than 890 individuals in our homeland. She revealed that remaining dedicated to the profession in the midst of COVID-19 is mainly due to “my love and passion for what I do…also, despite COVID, patients are still being diagnosed with cancer and require treatment.”

A CAREER IN MEDICINE
Born on November 17, 1988 to Mr. Franklyn Gooding, a gold miner, and his wife, Mrs. Audrey McKenzie-Gooding (now deceased), a former teacher, Dr. Gooding is the fourth of seven children. Although becoming a doctor for her was a childhood dream turned reality, Dr. Gooding revealed that her decision to specialise in oncology was “due to my grandfather’s diagnosis of prostate cancer.” The work of an Oncologist, she explained, is very important since “we screen, diagnose and treat cancer.”

To achieve this goal, she completed her undergraduate studies in Cuba and then her postgraduate studies in Brazil. But years before all that, she attained her primary education at the St. John The Baptist Primary School in Bartica after which she attended the Central High School in the capital city.
But as a practising Oncologist, Dr. Gooding, like her colleagues in the healthcare system, never anticipated having to deal with a dreadful health challenge such as COVID-19. Among those close to her that she has seen inflicted are her uncle, Cyril Grant, and a few of her patients. Indeed, she is determined, as far as possible, to not fall prey too. As such she revealed, “I wear my mask, wash and or sanitise my hands after contact with persons or surfaces, avoid touching my mouth, nose or eyes while being on the road or in public, and I also avoid social gatherings and the most important one is taking my vaccines.”

VACCINES PROTECT
Stressing the importance of being vaccinated against COVID-19, Dr. Gooding, who is the fully vaccinated, noted that, “the vaccine protects you from having the most severe forms of the virus, and gives your body a chance to prepare a response in the event that you come into contact with the virus.” Among the vaccines that the Ministry of Health has offered to date are AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, Sputnik V, Johnson and Johnson and Pfizer – the latter offered to children.

Aside from catering to the needs of her patients during this time of COVID-19, Dr. Gooding, who shares three sons – Tyron, Kyron and Nyron – with her husband Myron Stephens, also engages in voluntary work, which sees her screening individuals for cancer. Her screening activities are done through her very own non-governmental organisation – The Giving Hope Foundation – which she founded in 2016.
But when she is not busy offering her expertise, Dr. Gooding indulges in her favourite pastimes which include travelling and meeting new people. But these days, Dr. Gooding is on high alert that because the threat of COVID-19 lingers, she must never take a break from ensuring that she and her family are safeguarded at all times – a practice she wishes people everywhere would adhere to.

 

 

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