The Ministry of Health recently conducted a two-day review of the maternal and child health programme to identify its weaknesses and evaluate its success.
In his address to an audience comprising health professionals and other participants, Minister of Health Dr Leslie Ramsammy said the exercise is timely since the ministry is conducting several reviews of its critical programmes to ensure effective and efficient delivery of health care. According to a press release from the Government Information Agency Ramsammy said too immunization under the maternal and child health programme will ensure that no child is left behind.
He told the audience that it “is not only the responsibility of the health workers and those in the public health system but also that of all members of society especially the parents.” “It is a national obligation,” he said, adding that NGOs, churches and teachers must support efforts to ensure that every child is covered and “every young woman gets access to reproductive health care, that every pregnant woman receives antenatal care and that every woman gives birth in a comfortable setting where there is a trained health worker.”
The minister said Guyana has accomplished all the major aspects of the health sector and it now has to focus on improving the quality of its services. “Ten to 15 years ago the problem was creating access, having the commodities. Today we have largely though not completely resolved the issues of access, issues of commodity availability, the quality of services however, needs to be improved,” he said. Ramsammy also disclosed that new vaccines: the PCV7, Rotavirus vaccine and Tdap (Adult Pertussis Vaccines) will be introduced into the health sector to combat illnesses such as whooping cough and other virus.
