The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and the National Stadium are medically equipped to respond to any emergency during the period of World Cup Cricket, and there were no reported glitches during the historic first match on local soil yesterday.
New equipment scheduled to be installed at the East Bank Demerara Regional Hospital at Diamond were temporarily deployed to the public hospital and the stadium to strengthen the response effort during the local leg of the games.
Several medical facilities were established at the stadium and three ambulances were on the ready while many first responders were in the stands. Close to 70 health workers are said to be involved in the overall response.
Additionally 30 persons were at the stadium to ensure appropriate and compliant public health practices and inspections are being done at the concessions and food stands and at other parts of the stadium.
Minister of Health Dr Leslie Ramsammy said yesterday that the public health and medical responses are ready. A press release from the Ministry of Health quoted Ramsammy as saying that the health response would be active both on match days and on other days as the stadium will be used for practice sessions. “There is a main medical centre, one for the players, another for the VIPs and three additional medical posts, as well as a mobile facility. The health posts are fully equipped, with both equipment and medical supplies and are being manned by competent staff,” Ramsammy said.
He also said ambulances are at the ready at Le Meridien Pegasus, Buddy’s International Hotel and at the airport and practice venues; the Everest Cricket Club and the Bourda Cricket Ground. “The services are in place and as Guyanese should be proud that we have worked together and caused something this tremendous and impressive to happen,” the minister said.
Meanwhile, the full complement of Cuban medical personnel who arrived to man the Diamond hospital were temporarily deployed to GPHC from Monday and will remain there on assignment until the end of the games. The team includes an orthopaedic surgeon, a general surgeon, intensive care doctors, nurses and general practitioners, among others. They will strengthen the capacity of the specialized human resource pool, adequately providing care for any emergency.
According to a press release from Regional Health Services, Dr Bheri Ramsaran, Minister in the Ministry of Health, was very instrumental in initiating and convening this process with full support from the Cuban Ambassador Francisco Marchante and his team at the Cuban Embassy. Ramsaran said he is grateful for the timely response from the Cuban government to help to facilitate this process. Prior to the first match being played Ramsaran inspected the installation works carried out at GPHC.
Raphael Diaz Valdez, a Cuban biomedical technician attached to Diamond hospital, headed the team of Cuban technicians who worked on setting up the equipment at the public hospital. The release from the ministry said Diaz will also install, maintain and repair all medical equipment at the other three diagnostic centres under construction at Suddie, Leonora and Mahaicony and the state of the art National Ophthalmologic Hospital at Port Mourant, which the government is building. Since biomedical technicians are in short supply in Guyana, Diaz will play a pivotal role in ensuring that downtimes are minimal or non-existent.
