PAGE 20
Saturday July 07, 2018
Kaieteur News
Region Seven gears to modernize ‘frontline communities’ Starting next year Region Seven [Cuyuni/Mazaruni] will be looking to expand and modernize its health services in the frontline communities bordering Venezuela. This disclosure was made this past week by Regional Health Officer, Dr. Edward Sagala, during the Regional Health Services meeting which concluded yesterday at Lake Mainstay Resort. In his presentation at t h e f o r u m , D r. S a g a l a shared the proposed plans to strengthen and improve healthcare next year in the predominantly gold-mining community. This, he explained, will see Kamarang District Hospital, in the Upper Mazaruni, “being modernised to provide critical and much needed back up services to all neighbouring communities.” In these facilities there are nine general medical practitioners serving the communities which i n c l u d e Imbaimadai, Jawalla, Quebeng, Kako, Waramadong and Paruima. Dr. Sagala reminded the other RHOs and participants at the annual Regional Health Services review programme that health care is a human right and not a privilege. “This care must be always available when needed, acceptable, accessible, timely and appropriate. Despite all the good intentions, sometimes it is difficult to ensure that the above parameters are met,” Dr. Sagala said. The Cuyuni/Mazaruni RHO said that plans are also afoot to upgrade all health posts to health centres in both Upper and Middle Mazaruni, where doctors are already providing services to those re-
Region Seven RHO, Dr. Edward Sagala. mote areas where transportation and communication are very difficult and severely affecting timely delivery of health services. Dr. Sagala said too that proposals have been included in the 2019 budget to ensure that comprehensive primary health care (PHC) is also made available to all ‘frontline communities’ bordering Spanish-speaking Venezuela where, currently, due to economic hardships a number of Guyanese have been re-migrating. Several Venezuelans have also been fleeing their homeland to seek medical and other benefits from Guyana. “It is planned to have doctors stationed at all ‘Frontline Communities’ including Eteringbang, Kaikan and Chinoweing to ensure comprehensive primary health care delivery is available in a timely fashion to the residents. Dr. Sagala affirmed that the proposed plan is in-
deed ambitious. “Difficult yes, impossible no… It is doable and necessary for both economic and security reas o n s , ” D r. S a g a l a s a i d about his Region’s shortterm aspirations. Despite the current economic situation under the review period, the country has achieved significant progress in ensuring that its population receives quality healthcare. “What gives us hope is that almost all the current constraints are man-made and therefore have solutions,” the RHO said. Challenges in Cuyuni/ Mazaruni are amplified by its size. The region is recognised as the second largest in the country and has geographical peculiarities, transportation and communication difficulties, disease patterns and a scattered population of some 28-30,000 residents living in the Lower, Middle and Upper Mazaruni subdistricts. Those residing in the sprawling interior mining community usually seek m e d i c a l a t t e n t i o n f o r, among other things, hypertension, heart disease, gastrointestinal disorders, diabetes, vector-borne diseases, malaria, dengue, pregnancy-related conditions, skin conditions, snake bites, accidents, trauma, violent acts and mental disorders in that order. However, Dr. Sagala said the five leading causes of death in Cuyuni/ Mazaruni are respiratory disorders, gastro-intestinal conditions, neonatal conditions [sepsis, prematurity], multifactorial [accidents and trauma] and congenital malformations.