Regional Chairman Renis Morian and councillors of Region 10 (Upper Demerara/Berbice) Democratic Council (RDC) have expressed dissatisfaction over closure of the Calcuni Health Centre due to its Medex proceeding on annual leave.
Regional Chairman Renis Morian
In light of several reports of issues relating to health facilities in Sub-Region Two (areas along the Berbice River), Morian has made a call for a look at standard operating procedures regarding health posts.
The chairman during the Council’s statutory meeting Thursday established that he wants systems to be put in place for a health worker to always be present at the facility, noting that “no health centre should be closed.” He reported a similar incident at Ebini where there is also no replacement for the health worker who is on leave.
“One staff is on leave, so there is no replacement. At Calcuni, the Medex is on leave, so it means the health post is closed…The objective of having the health post in the community is so that healthcare can reach the people…Closing down the health post or health clinic is defeating the whole purpose of having one,” the Regional Chairman declared.
Speaking on behalf of the Regional Health Department, Medex Jacqueline Baird said that at Calcuni, it is customary that when the Medex proceeds on leave they remain close but the health post can render assistance in case of emergency.
However Morian asserted that legally, the Medex, while on leave has no responsibility and can choose not to respond.
“What we want here is a system that the office is opened all the time… You’re aware that somebody is going on leave, make all the necessary provision for somebody else (to be present)… If it was working, the residents would not have raised this concern,” Morian replied while urging that systems be put in place so there is no recurrence.
He further stressed that the closure of the facilities also affects the effectiveness of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) since they are usually closed when that programme is conducted.
He said it is now time to think outside of what is customary and to make provision for someone else to be present, and added that the onus is on the Health Department to ensure that training is provided since residents are asking for more community health workers to work alongside Medexes.
Meanwhile, Councillor Vladimir Glasgow suggested that the Department must either budget for persons to be trained in these areas or have a nurse present in the absence of the Medex, while Morian assured the Council that money is in the 2017 Budget for training.
Speaking on the issue, Councillor Gordon Callendar noted that the situation is not satisfactory for a Region which allocates money towards its health posts. He questioned the adequacy of the number of staff assigned to the health posts since it was noted that one staff is customary.
Councillor Douglas Gittens outlined that one staff to a building is very inadequate.
Morian also pointed out that where there is one staff, community health workers can be trained to assist.
Councillor Sandra Adams who forms part of a visiting team to the riverain communities said at Ebini, the community health worker is asking for a Medex to be added to the staff. (Utamu Belle)
