A state-of-the-art health facility has been commissioned at Schepmoed, East Bank Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).
The Schepmoed Health Outpost, constructed to the tune of $20.3 million, was opened on Saturday, and would serve communities situated in the uppermost reaches of the East Bank Berbice corridor which have been without a health facility for more than two decades, including Mara.
The ceremonial cutting of the ribbon to officially open the facility
In September 2022, at the commissioning of the Mara Police Outpost, residents raised concerns about the lack of a health facility, and called on Government to rehabilitate and reopen the Mara Health Centre. The nearest health facility to the Mara Health Centre is located at Plegt Anker, some 12 kilometres from Mara.
Following this request, Region Six Chairman David Armogan has committed to constructing a new facility, thus the opening of the Schepmoed Health Outpost could be considered another promise being kept by the PPP/C Administration.
The spanking new health centre
During the commissioning ceremony of this new outpost, Regional Health Officer Dr Vishalya Sharma related that, with the Schepmoed Health Outpost becoming operational, there are now 42 such facilities that fall under the Regional Health Services of Region Six.
Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony at the opening
Regional Chairman David Armogan declared that this development is another indication of Government’s commitment to ensuring that services of all kind are extended to every area in the country, including Schepmoed, which is considered part of the Mara community.
Regional Health Officer Dr Vishalya Sharma addressing the gathering
“We are bringing services and more services every single day in every single remote community within our country; be it North West District, be it the Rupununi, Orealla, Siparuta or Baracara. Wherever people are living, we are bringing services to the people,” he declared.
Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony told the gathering that Government’s allocation of $129 billion for health in the national budget is to ensure that health services are improved.
He also took the opportunity to encourage residents to make good use of the new facility. Pointing out that it would be offering a wide range of services, he added that Government has been spending a huge sum of money to provide medical care to citizens.
“All you need to do is to come, and we will test you to know whether you have diabetes. And if you have, they have medication which we will give to you,” he said.
However, the Health Minister warned against complacency, noting that some persons become complacent after going on treatment for chronic diseases.
“You have to keep coming every month to the clinic to ensure everything is okay and you collect your medication. Some of us tend to come one time to the health centre, and after using the medication that they give to you, and you feel alright after you drink the tablet for a week, you stop using the tablet. A few months later, when you start to feel not so well, you come back to the health centre. It does not work like that. What we need is that if you were diagnosed, please come, because we want to make sure that we prevent complications from happening,” Dr Anthony explained.
This Outpost will be furnished with a doctor. Dr Damian Wills, who services the area, has said the new facility would eliminate the visits by health teams to homes, as residents would now have a central point from whence they can receive a wide range of services. (Andrew Carmichael)
