The Public Health Ministry (MOPH) has sent a stern warning to members of staff who are known to be underperformers and who abuse donations from international donor agencies.
The warning was issued by Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence when she delivered the feature address at the Maternal and Child Health/Expanded Programme on Immunisation (MCH/EPI) quarterly review meeting at the Grand
Volda Lawrence
Coastal Hotel, East Coast Demerara, on Monday.
Minister Lawrence said she is outraged that international donations given to boost Guyana’s health sector are converted for personal use by a MOPH officials.
Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) Representative Dr William Adu-Krow had earlier complained about the misuse of transportation donations to help the MOPH’s immunisation programme in the hinterland. Turning her attention to budgetary initiatives of her Ministry, Lawrence told participants at the two-day MCH/EPI review meeting to maximise spending on budgetary initiatives.
“Spend money on that for which it is allocated. If that doesn’t happen, somebody will be going home,” Minister Lawrence warned.
For that to happen, the procurement system must be strengthened and the belated arrival of projects for funding from the 10 Regions has to end.
Despite the challenges, she said that as Dr Adu-Krow and Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud, pointed out at the opening ceremony, Guyana’s health sector has nevertheless made several notable gains.
“In the Health Situation Analysis of the CCS 2016-2020, it was noted that since 2010, Guyana has recorded high levels of immunisation coverage for which we are extremely happy. It means therefore, that we must always remain one step ahead, that our procurement process for supply of vaccines is efficient, and that we are prepared to effectively deal with any threat or outbreak. We must also ensure that these vaccines can easily reach our Hinterland Regions, that the monitoring process is well established and that there is ongoing training of personnel for new vaccines and for Effective Vaccine Management,” Lawrence said.
To maintain the momentum, the MOPH must improve its facilities, have adequate trained personnel in all ten Administrative Regions to lessen complaints about unprofessional behaviour and attitudes, and improve the level of patient care.
“We must implement Standards and Best Practices for our Clinics and Health Centres. Our mandate is to reduce the incidence of maternal and child mortality, so it is extremely important that our human resource is educated and trained, so that they in turn can inform and teach the mothers who attend clinic sessions,” Lawrence told the opening ceremony.
In the short-term, there will be heightened sensitisation and awareness programmes focusing on the behaviours that can be changed to reduce incidences of non-communicable diseases. Lawrence also wants national discourse on tobacco and alcohol use, and physical inactivity and the consequences of these on peoples’ health.
“We must strive harder to lessen the number of obese children and encourage healthier eating habits and lifestyles,” Lawrence said.
Among the new target of the SDG Three is a reduction of the MMR to less 70 per 100,000 by 2030, Dr Adu-Krow told the gathering.
He said also that among its vision is ending preventable deaths of new-borns and children under five years of age, “with all countries aiming to reduce neonatal mortality to at least as low as 12 per 1,000 live births and under-five mortality to as low as 25 per 1,000 live births by 2030.” Between 20-22 per cent of 15 to 19-year-olds in Guyana become pregnant according to MOPH figures quoted by Adu-Krow.
The PAHO/WHO Representative also assured Guyana of continued assistance to those bodies in several areas this year. These include the completion of the PMTCT elimination report through data collection; review the family health manual; build capacity in neonatal, maternal and adolescent health-training programmes for HCWs; procurement of needed obstetric equipment; share the findings of the recent perinatal and neonatal survey which was completed in 2016, and follow-up on certification of health workers on the training in reproductive care in collaboration with CLAP.
