Medical specialists in Bartica significantly reduce referrals to GPH

– some 7000 patients seen thus far for 2017

Regional Health Officer (RHO) for Region Seven, Dr Edward Segala has given updates on the Region’s health service delivery thus far for 2017. One of the highlights for 2017 is the fact that just about 7000 patients were seen by

specialised doctors at the Bartica Regional hospital for the first six months of the year.
The RHO attributed this to the fact that the Bartica Regional Hospital has received its full complement of medical specialists. Dr Segala outlined that eight medical specialists were now at the Hospital. These include a General Surgeon, Anaesthesiologist, Cardiologist, Obstetrician/Gynaecologist, Paediatrician, Haematologist and specialists in internal medicine and trauma and orthopaedics
“I think we have been able to reduce significantly the number of cases that would have to go to Georgetown and get medical attention. Figures for the first six months of this year – approximately close to 7000 patients were seen by medical specialists. You can imagine if all of those would have to go to Georgetown to be seen,” Dr Segala explained.
Head of the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Unit at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH), Dr Zulfikar Bux confirmed that there has been a reduction in referrals from Bartica to the tertiary facility since specialists have been operating in the Region.
Since 2015, the Public Health Ministry has been working to decentralise health services in all regions and has advocated for bridging the gap in the delivery of health care between the hinterland and coastal regions.
The goal was to have regional hospitals in Regions One, Seven, Eight and Nine equipped with the requisite specialists which will ultimately decrease the number of referrals to the Georgetown Public Hospital.
That hospital as determined by senior health practitioners is overburdened with referrals of emergency cases from all 10 administrative regions. Additionally, hinterland regions would often refer maternity and snake-bite cases on a large scale.
The RHO noted that there were 24 medical specialist doctors throughout the Region. More specifically, specialists are strategically spread throughout the Region. “For the first time we have two doctors at Middle Mazaruni, that is Issano so they cover a big area; also in Upper Mazaruni, we have doctors covering from Imbaimadai we have two; Jawalla – we have one, Kako – soon one doctor to go there, Kamarang – two, Waramadong – one, Parima – one,” the RHO noted.
Dr Segala added that having medical specialists in the Region meant that it would have reduced medevacs. “That same money that we are spending on evacuating those patients it will help to improve and better health services in the Region.”
Meanwhile, the RHO underscored that the shortage of nurses in the Region remained an issue, which needed to be urgently addressed. He believes that a full complement of nurses employed, especially at regional and district hospitals, would balance the work already being done in the Region by medical specialists. (DPI)