Region 6 health department records outstanding performance – Director

− rubbishes RDC’s claim of poor performance in 2016

The Health Services Department of Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) has

refuted claims by the Regional Democratic Council (RDC), that the department has been performing poorly.

Director of Regional Health Services Jevaughn Stephens, during a press conference, refuted reports which appeared in the media last week, following the RDC’s monthly meeting, while he pointed out that for the past year, the Health Services Department attended to more patients that ever before in a calendar year.

Of the five programmes which falls under the regional administration, health was the most outstanding with a 99.8 per cent of its current expenditure programme completed, he noted.

He boasted that in a region with a population of 109,498 persons, 103,250 persons attended clinics at 26 health centres and two health posts.

“We have health posts at Siparuta up the Corentyne River and at Barakara up the Canje River,” Stephens explained.

The figure represents an increase of more than 16,000 patients above the previous highest which was recorded in 2014.

He further highlighted that there were 1358 surgeries performed in the Region last year, while there were no maternal and infant deaths recorded during 2016. However, there were 16 neonatal deaths recorded and 13 stillbirths.

The Director was high in his praise for midwives in the region who had 2184 successful deliveries last year.

Speaking of diagnostic services offered in the region, Stephens said 12,122 X-rays were done on 102,263 patients, while 190,414 laboratory tests were done on 69,841 patients in Region Six last year.

Meanwhile, at the New Amsterdam Hospital last year, there was a recordbreaking 6520 persons admitted to the institution.Of that figure, 2401 were in the maternity unit, 593 in the female surgical ward, 701 in the male surgical and 674 in the male medical ward. The paediatric ward had an intake of 443 children.