Maternal, child health project rolled out in Region 9
Maternal and child health are being prioritised in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) as the Public Health Ministry has initiated a US million project funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
The project was launched on Friday in Annai.
Indigenous People’s Affairs Minister Sydney Allicock, who was present at the launch, called on villagers to embrace the project. The Public Health Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Trevor Thomas pointed to the challenges Guyana has been facing with regard to the relatively high rate of maternal and neonatal deaths.
Director of Maternal and Child Health, Dr Ertenesia Hamilton
Meetings and consultations will be conducted to strengthen capacity at the community level.
Residents of Annai were urged by the Permanent Secretary to ‘play their part’ in making the project successful.
Director of Maternal and Child Health Services, Dr Ertenesia Hamilton is quoted by the Government Information Agency (GINA) as saying, “We are not satisfied with the care we have now; we think we can do better.” Other measures include training health workers, buying medical equipment, sharing knowledge and developing care plans within the community for every pregnant mother.
In 2016, there were 12 recorded maternal deaths, while in 2015 there were 17, according to the Public Health Ministry.
This reduction is attributed to the fact that there were more trained doctors in the public health system in the field of obstetrics, which has resulted in earlier diagnosis of complications in teenage and high-risk pregnancies.
