Child and Youth Health Programme: Health Ministry aims to screen 27,000 nursery-aged students this year

…Guyana receives testing equipment from Mount Sinai, Hess

The Health Ministry on Friday received a quantity of testing equipment and other medical materials as part of a consultancy facilitation between Mount Sinai Health Systems and Hess Cooperation, which will prove useful for the Comprehensive Child and Youth Health Programme (CYHP).
Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony and Director of Primary Health Care, Dr Ertenisa Hamilton received the donation.
The school health programme, which is slated for rollout in the coming weeks, will facilitate oral health, hearing and vision screening for children and adolescents in schools.
Intended to improve the health of school children aged 5-17, the Health Ministry has collaborated with the Education Ministry to launch this initiative among children entering the nursery level. The Ministry aims to screen at least 27,000 nursery-level children by the ending of the year.
The Primary Health Care Director informed, “Very shortly, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education will be providing services for all children who will be entering nursery school. These items will be used for all of the screening that will be done on the students as they enter school.”
During his remarks, Dr Anthony said that a comprehensive programme will be rolled out at the nursery level, ensuring that every child gets at least one checkup. This data will be entered into a chart and if there are any problems, it will allow the Ministry to address them at an early age to prevent any long-term health conditions.
“We have established a set of measures to be implemented at the nursery level which will include visual, hearing, dental and physical check-ups to address any conditions and prevent long-term issues,” Anthony said.
He added, “This is a programme that we have developed with Mount Sinai. We recognise that if we’re going to have good preventative health in Guyana, that this would have to start at the level of the schools. We have developed this comprehensive programme that we will start rolling out at the nursery level but eventually, it will be nursery, primary and secondary.”
Minister Anthony extended appreciation to Mount Sinai Health Systems and Hess for the equipment which he said will help the staff to commence screening effectively in all regions.
Meanwhile, Mount Sinai Country Director, Josuè Alcàntara, said both organisations are pleased to support the Ministry of Health for the needed screening in schools across Guyana.
“We’re happy to be providing these supplies as part of our continued collaboration with the Ministry of Health with the view of providing these very needed screenings for the children and youth of Guyana.”
By the new school term in September, the programme will be implemented. (G12)