Dear Editor,
World Health Day was observed on April 7th, 2018, and saw a number of celebrations being held across Guyana at a number of health facilities where residents were able to access free health care, which was indeed commendable.
The question is: are residents afforded this kind of service only on World Health Day?
I am a resident of Mahaica Creek, an area where there is a health centre located in Biabu, part of Mahaica Creek. There is no medical practitioner at that health care facility, nor is there any proper medication. If a resident is sick or there is an emergency health problem, one has to travel all the way to the Mahaicony Cottage Hospital for treatment.
Sometimes transportation is not available right away (this is a riverine community) to take a patient to the hospital, and delaying medical treatment can cause more complications.
There are a few questions to be noted: if there is a facility, why is there no Medex, doctor or community health worker designated to work there? Under the previous administration, doctors with long boots and coats traversed the area, using boat in setting up medical outreaches at least once a month, what happened to those times? The Government boasts so much about training medical personnel in so many fields, is there not one of them who can serve our community? Will the facility become another ‘white elephant’?
The Ministry of Public Health has set out on a mandate to provide all citizens of Guyana with universal healthcare. I would like to remind the minister that Mahaica Creek is a part of Guyana, and no exception should be made. This community is an agricultural one, and our produce is circulated across the length and breadth of this country, making us citizens who contribute to the development of this country; therefore, it is our right to be afforded proper health care.
Sincerely,
Resident
