Soesdyke Health Centre launches 3 clinics for adolescents

Pregnant and adolescent mothers can now access enhanced health care at the Soesdyke Health Centre through the institution of the adolescent and antenatal clinic day.
This is as a result of the Regional Health Department of Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) taking a multi-sectoral approach, thus collaborating with the Public Health Ministry’s Adolescent Unit and the Education Ministry.
The adolescent clinic will see pregnant teens now being able to access health care

and services that were formerly provided by Grove Health Centre. Additionally, two other initiatives were launched – the Adolescent and Wellness Clinic, for adolescent girls who are not pregnant and boys, in and out of school, and the Community Parenting and Support Group, which provides an opportunity for persons accessing this clinic to walk along with someone who can lend moral and other support to them.
Giving insight into the initiatives, Dr Fazeeda Singh at Soesdyke Health Centre disclosed that the clinic was fully equipped and ready to offer assistance to persons accessing them. She urged the young mothers to utilise fully the benefits and opportunities being made available. Dr Singh reiterated that the clinics were open to anyone irrespective of location.
Appealing passionately to pregnant adolescents, Dr Singh urged them to encourage other adolescent girls who may be in similar situations to come forward and access the many services which were being made available to them. Dr Singh reminded those who have not joined the clinic to do so immediately.
“Please encourage them to join the clinic even if they are older than 19, as they would be able to access the care of this health centre,” Dr Singh stated.

Representing the Regional Health Officer, Dr Quincy Jones, was Dr Mark Vyhius, who told the young women that the clinics have a mental health officer. This, he said, is so as to provide and address any mental health issue.
He further noted that in further enhancing the services being offered, these persons could access the help of a social worker too. “Please when you guys come to clinic just feel free to say whatever problem is affecting you, because we are aware that some of you have a lot of problems and we are here to see in what way we can help. However, we want you to feel comfortable to tell us what is bothering you,” Dr Vyhius said. He added that persons visiting should be open as this would help the staff at the Health Centre in determining to which personnel the person should be referred.
Nurse Patricia Thomas from the Grove Health Centre told the mothers that the initiative was first birthed at her Health Centre some three years ago. She expressed excitement over the growth of the initiative, which she said could address a number of issues faced by the adolescent mothers. “I have seen that before the establishment of this initiative, many young teen mothers didn’t know where to go, how to access critical information that they needed as there was no one to tell them where and what to do, so I am happy that you mothers despite being teenagers can access help and assistance,” Nurse Thomas said.
It was reported that among the many things that persons attending the clinics would be taught was how to effectively breast feed their babies, handling stress and proper care of the child.
The adolescent health services officer at the Public Health Ministry, Dr Travis Freeman, said that his Ministry was providing the technical support, noting that it was a community initiative while lauding the Region Four Health Department. He reminded all that it was a community initiative and that all should play their part in ensuring that it grows successfully. Dr Freeman revealed that the adolescent population has been ignored for a very long time, thus it was now an at-risk population. He stressed that because of adolescents being at risk a number of initiatives were being conceptualised so as to address the many issues facing them.
“For too long adolescents have been the forgotten population, thus today we are seeing that they are the ones exhibiting more at-risk behaviours. While adolescence is defined as being up to 19 years old for programmes’ purposes and the links to youths, we have extended to 24 years old,” he said.
Meanwhile, Jeannel Sweatman of the Education Ministry said that the Ministry has an established relationship with the Public Health Ministry. She, however, noted that they have boosted that partnership with the establishment of a care package. The care package, she said, is given to teenage mothers at all the adolescent clinics across Guyana.
“Let me say that this care package is not to encourage teenagers to get pregnant early, but we realise that as young people they have a need. This is to help you to prepare the baby bag in preparation for the delivery of your child so the bag contains things for yourself and baby,” Sweatman said.
She disclosed that a significant amount of pampers and wipes were given along with a towel, baby bottles, baby clothing among other things. “This is not a one-off thing so even after receiving this bag and you still need additional stuff or more of what we have given you, then you can contact your health clinic and through that clinic we (Ministry of Education) can provide additional stuff for you,” she reassured the mothers.
She said this formed part of the Education Ministry’s drive to provide support to the mothers with the view of reintegrating them after the delivery of the baby into the education system.
It’s the 39th Adolescent Clinic being established across Guyana, with more than half of the number being situated within Region Four. The adolescent day will be held every Monday from 13:00h (1 pm at the Soesdyke Health Centre); already there are 15 mothers who are part of the clinic.