HERO team urged to promote renewed primary healthcare

A medical team from Health and Education Relief Organisation (HERO) on Sunday was urged by Minister within the Public Health Ministry, Dr Karen Cummings to promote renewed primary healthcare in Guyana during their one-week medical outreach.
In brief remarks at Project Dawn, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown, Minister Cummings expressed gratitude to the team for their support, especially since government would like to reintroduce primary healthcare.

“We are very happy for your (presence) and we hope that you continue to lend your expertise and help us identify our gaps, as we brainstorm on how we could find solutions to these problems, but our mantra remains the same of having healthy people and healthy communities and of course when it is all said and done, we really want to renew our primary healthcare because we want to strive for the preventative aspect instead of the curative aspect,” the Minister explained.
Minister Cummings noted that the recommendations that will be provided by the team will also help to improve the country’s health-care services. “The people of Guyana, whether from Corentyne to Georgetown to West Demerara will benefit from your services and they will say indeed we are very privileged to have HERO team with us,” the Minister posited.
It was also highlighted that the team will be split into five groups which will focus on various areas during their stay, which includes the Linden team, which will be tasked with handling basic medical outreaches.
A team will be sent to the Georgetown Public Hospital and is expected to complete 44 surgeries for patients with “club foot” and other lower extremity problems. The remaining teams will focus on children from Mocha Primary School between the ages of five and 12 for the literacy programme, in addition to assisting the children living at Joshua House Children Centre.
Ieshia King-O’loughlin, a Board member of HERO who is also in charge of the literacy programme, thanked the Minister for her support and words of wisdom. She noted that though the programme she has undertaken is not her profession, it has proven to be beneficial to the children.
King said the initiative focuses on supporting children performing below grade level in reading, writing and Mathematics.
HERO is a non-profit organisation, which is registered in the United States and has been providing health care and other services to Guyana and other developing countries since 2000. This is the 11th time HERO has visited Guyana to assist in the delivery of healthcare services and educational programmes.