Eureka Urgent Care and Pharmacy, the first facility of its kind in Guyana, was officially opened to the public yesterday at 264 Thomas Street, North Cummingsburg, Georgetown.
It was described as a one-stop shop providing urgent care which focusses on minor injuries with an aim to provide swift medical attention within one hour at your convenience.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Eureka Urgent Care and Pharmacy, Dr William Boyle, remarked that the Eureka Laboratory became the first accredited medical laboratory in Guyana. The idea of urgent care originated some two years ago during an engagement with a member of the oil and gas sector who waited a prolonged period for medical care at a hospital in Guyana. The man suggested that Boyle establish an urgent care facility to enhance medical care in Guyana.
Emergency Medicine Specialist and Medical Director, Zelda Blyden-Luke, explained that urgent care will help relieve the burden on emergency rooms across the country while assisting patients to receive medical attention earliest. As it caters for non-life-threatening medical need, the services offered at the Urgent Care and Pharmacy are broken bones, ankle sprains, minor cuts, asthmatic services, ultra sounds, x-rays, laboratory services, and pharmaceutical services
Eureka Laboratory came into existence some 29 years ago and opened their third building yesterday. The building was named after Colonel Clarence M. Gordon, a stalwart who journeyed with the team and is now retired. It aims to provide the best service in Guyana that is also internationally recognised.
Ministry of Health, Chief Medical Officer, Dr Narine Singh, asserted that there is a space for private sector involvement and health care services as the need increases. He added that there is also a need for the private sector to provide quality health care services and in doing so the ministry will oversee the regulatory function to ensure that quality care is provided and the safety of patients are ensured.
Microbiology Manager, Paul Cheddie, emphasised that the laboratory was the first private institution to administer COVID-19 PCR, comprehensive STI, HPV and robust comprehensive testing for bacteria for contaminants in food, water and the environment.
Meanwhile, President Irfaan Ali thanked the medical team and remark-ed that Guyana seeks to build a robust health care system that is second to none that requires the integration of the public and private sector. Ali stressed that although patients in Guyana have a tendency of treating nurses here as unprofessional or nonsignificant, the first world countries are utilising the nurses from Guyana to provide quality services.
“Our nurses are servicing the first world countries and I say this to let the population understand that we have significant quality of human resources and quality infrastructure. The government is on an extensive expansion of health care facilities across the country and we do not see that in any way conflicting with the investment of the private sector because there are niches that no public health could offer.”
The president added that when he took office in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, with collaborative efforts from Eureka and other private institutions, the country was able to create the most robust approach to the pandemic. (Shuntel Glasgow)
