Ministry lauds Canada’s support for health services

Minister of Health, Dr Bheri Ramsaran has lauded Canada’s support to the local health sector via the Canada/Guyana Partnership for Health Care Development Initiatives particularly in the areas of cardiology and urology.

At a cocktail reception hosted at the Canadian High Commissioner David Devine’s residence for both local and overseas-based members of the medical fraternity, Dr Ramsaran heaped praise on the efforts made to improve and sustain local health care services.

According to a GINA report, he said over the last few years collaboration between the two countries in this field has grown. “These various efforts are strengthening our health sector, but our health sector too is contributing,” the minister said, noting that government has been investing billions of dollars yearly for its continued improvement.

Dr Ramsaran also spoke of the administration’s vision to train 500 young Guyanese doctors, who today are serving in the health system, and hoped that Canada would assist. He said in addition to providing clinical skills, programmes instituted by Canada will also train local health care providers.

The Canadian High Commissioner acknowledged the partnership between the two countries to further develop health care services locally. Devine lauded government’s many accomplishments through the health ministry and singled out the success of the Guyana Diabetic Foot Care project in regions Two, Three, Four, Six and ten which has resulted in a 50% reduction in foot amputation of diabetic patients. Devine noted that the project won the 2013 award for the best research from a developing country from the Journal of Wound Care.

The Canadian envoy also noted the establishment of the three Neonatal Intensive Care Units at the GPHC, Linden and New Amsterdam hospitals which are designed to improve the quality of services offered to newborn babies. “These units are well equipped with incubators, warmers, cardio respiratory monitors and baby ventilators, and became a reality through the partnership of Canadian-Guyanese paediatrician Dr Narendra Singh of Humber Hospital, Toronto and his NGO, Guyana Help the Kids,” he said. The establishment of the Chronic Non Communicable Diseases Care at the Georgetown hospital is also timely as these diseases are rapidly becoming a health care challenge for governments. The programme at the GPHC was initiated by Professor Kishan Narine from the University of Calgary in Canada. “Your collaboration is not just opportune, but they have addressed a need that is growing and threaten our most vulnerable resources, our people,” he said.