Residents expressed gratitude as the American medical mission continued yesterday, having looked at over 1,300 patients so far at the treatment sites in the North West District.

Commander Fernandez Ponds (left) and US Ambassador to Guyana John Jones speak with Assistant Regional Executive Officer of Region One, Cassandra Rodrigues at the Kumaka District Hospital yesterday. The US officials were on a visit to the site, where the US medical mission, ‘Continuing Promise’ is ongoing.

On Wednesday, the total number of persons checked by the medical personnel at all the sites amounted to 640 persons while 680 were looked at on Thursday and over 500 persons were expected to be examined and treated yesterday, Com-   mander Dave Damastra, the head of the Medical aspect of the mission, said.

Several journalists were taken to the Kumaka District Hospital at Santa Rosa, North West District yesterday, one of the sites for the medical outreaches. The other is at the Mabaruma Learning Resource Centre, while another is to be set up at the Port Kaituma Secondary School shortly.

Damastra told reporters that the majority of persons had very similar complaints and the services offered by the mission in high demand were dental and optometry. These areas, he said, were two of the busiest services on offer. Several minor surgeries were done, such as operations on cataracts. The commander pointed out, however, that overall, the people were very healthy and attributed this to a good diet and education. He added that local health care providers were doing a “great job”.

Meanwhile, some residents are grateful for the service. “I feel great about it. Normally, we don’t have this kind of help coming from our people in Guyana,” said village chief, Genevieve Rufino.  She said that many of the people in the community were poor and it was costly to go to the Essequibo Coast     or Georgetown to access     services, not available in the community. Santa Rosa and its satellite communities contain some 16,000 people. “We welcome this help greatly,” she said.

Persons queue up to see doctors on the US medical mission, ‘Continuing Promise’, at the Kumaka District Hospital yesterday.

Assistant Regional Executive Officer Cassandra Rodrigues also expressed gratitude while some persons waiting to access the services said that they were glad of the opportunity to have their ailments diagnosed and treated.

Some equipment and medicines were handed over to the hospital by the medical mission in a brief ceremony. Books and foodstuff were also donated to the community.

US Ambassador to Guyana John Jones said the personnel involved in the mission are volunteers and pledged that the US government will continue the programme.

The current mission dubbed ‘Continuing Promise’ follows in the wake of the visit of the US Navy medical ship, the USNS Comfort last year. The United States Amphibious Assault Ship, the USS Kearsarge, currently anchored 17 miles off Guyana’s coast is supporting the current mission. The surgeries are being done onboard the ship. Guyana is the final stop for the ship, which has conducted similar humanitarian missions in five countries during the current tour.