Director-General of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Vishwa Mahadeo is leading a three-day specialist medical outreach to far-flung communities in Region 2( Pomeroon-Supenaam). The outreach targeted communities that do not have regular access to the healthcare services available in the central parts of the Region.
On Thursday, 284 residents of St. Deny’s Mission, Mainstay/Whyaka and Capoey, benefited from optometry, dental, diagnostic sonography, diabetic foot care and other services during the exercise. Women were also encouraged to have Visual Inspection with Ascetic Acid (VIA) screening to detect any abnormalities linked to cervical cancer.
Dr. Mahadeo said, “we are here providing service with the general medical practitioners. They have ultrasonography being done by an ultrasonographer … Ultrasonography is one of those services greatly needed here. It is also the first time that it is being offered during an outreach here.”
Additionally, Dr. Mahadeo stated, “I really want to say thanks to His Excellency, President Ali because this has been his mandate, to ensure proper healthcare reaches every citizen of our country, irrespective of where they lived. And that is why we are here, this is what we are doing today.”
The outreach team includes specialists from the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and the Oscar Joseph District Hospital in Charity.
MOH’s Hinterland Coordinator, Mr. Michael Gouveia lauded the exercise.
He said, “We started at St. Deny’s Mission in Tapakuma, and then went to Mainstay/Whyaka before heading to Lake Capoey. On day one, 13 persons saw the diabetic foot care specialist, 100 persons did general medical check-ups, 36 used our dental service, 85 optometry, 25 for VIA – screening for cervical cancer and 25 for ultrasound services. ”
The Region Two outreach follows closely on similar exercises held recently in Regions Nine and Ten.
Regional Health Officer, Dr. Ranjeev Singh is also participating in the exercise. The outreach continued on Friday in the Upper Pomeroon River communities