$18M plugged into Region 6 healthcare delivery

As part of Vision 2020

The Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne) health department received a boost on Tuesday when Guyana Medical Relief Inc donated in excess of $18 million in medical supplies to the Regional Health Services.
The presentation was made to Director of Public Health Services, Jevaughn Stephens by President of St Francis Community Developers, Alex Foster on behalf of Guyana Medical Relief Inc.
Following the presentation the supplies were distributed to the region’s 28 health centres, posts, and hospitals.
Stephens noted that it is essential to have partnerships with stakeholders to improve healthcare delivery in the region.
The Ministry of Public Health in its efforts to achieve the Package of Essential Healthcare Services (PEHS) has stressed the need for

support from all stakeholders.
Stephens noted that the presentation was a demonstration of the good relationship with Guyana Medical Relief Inc and Food for the Poor.
The donation included both supplies and over-the-counter drugs: “These supplies would be distributed equally across the region so that at all health centres and hospitals persons will have access to the same healthcare.”
He said it is a boost to achieve health vision 2020: “We want to see in the country that there is equal access to health delivery across the region… We want our plans to be known and for there to be evidence of proper and equitable distribution across the region, and there is no shortage of essential drugs across the region.”
The PEHS is a programme of the Public Health Ministry as a blueprint as to where healthcare delivery should be in 2020: “What do you want from your health centres; what do you have to do to get there?”
Stephens is optimistic that the region’s health department is on track to achieve health vision 2020. “I am a bit bold and I want to say that Region Six may be able to achieve that by mid-2018. I would like my region to be the pilot region as it comes to the rolling out of PEHS.”
The $18 million presentation is seen as a step in that direction.