Lethem Hospital to become regional institution – Dr Cummings

Minister within the Public Health Ministry, Dr Karen Cummings, along with a team of senior health officials, visited the Lethem Hospital in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) to address a number of issues affecting the health sector in that Region.

In a meeting, the staff of the Lethem Hospital expressed their concerns to the Minister.
Minister Cummings stressed that health-care protocols should be observed by all staff working in the Hospital. “A team is as strong as the weakest link so we want everybody on board, singing from the same page so protocols for all healthcare procedures must be observed, all staff must work together to achieve this,” Dr Cummings urged.
Another issue was that of referrals. One doctor explained that when a patient was referred to the Georgetown Public Hospital, the patient is usually asked to return to complete the treatment which would be costly, transportation wise. The doctor added that although there was the Amerindian hostel available in Georgetown to accommodate individuals, there were many complaints of the poor living quarters at the facility.
Staff attached to the Maternal and Child Health Department in the Region requested the provision of transportation to assist in providing health services to persons in need in the sub-regions.
Minister Cummings charged the Regional Health Officer, along with the Regional Executive Officer, to take into consideration the issues which were raised and to seek to address them in a timely manner.