Canadian Charitable Organisation Dents Child Mortality Rate In Guyana
(Toronto, ON- December 3, 2013) The Guyana Help the Kids Organization(GHTK) continues to make significant strides, as it seeks to reduce neonatal and infant mortality rates in Guyana by 50 per cent. Already, the organisation has assisted in the 50 per cent reduction in neonatal death rate at the Georgetown Public Hospital; some 83 babies were saved.
The GHTK is a Canadian-based charitable organization led by president and chief of pediatrics at Humber River Regional Hospital in Toronto, Dr. Narendra Singh.
During an exclusive interview with Guyana Times, Dr. Singh stated that the organization is accelerating a series of health care programs in Guyana in a quest to fulfill its objective. With major emphasis placed on capacity building, the GHTK is providing comprehensive education to local physicians, nurses and other allied healthcare professionals. Additionally, it continues to secure specialized equipment to raise the bar of neonatal care in the country.
GHTK has collaborated with the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation’s Institute of Health Science Education, the University of Guyana, McMaster University and the Humber River Regional Hospital in Toronto to introduce a pediatric post-graduate residency program in 2011. Earlier this year, Dr. Clive Bowman and Dr. Seepersaud Chatterdeo were the first to graduate with a master’s degree in pediatrics under the program.
High Standard
“The examiner, who came from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, felt that the two pediatricians can function independently at a very high standard in Canada and the U.S., so I think it gives some support to the quality of the program we are providing here,” Dr. Singh noted.
Meanwhile, the other doctors in training are utilizing the services of specialists from the University of Toronto, McMaster University and other universities in North America. These specialists have been travelling monthly to provide didactic and bedside teaching in keeping with the uniquely developed curriculum.
In addition to the pediatric post-graduate residency program, the GHTK and Georgetown Public Hospital in March 2012 reconstructed a 24 bed Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
The facility at the GPHC was brought up to standard with the installation of procure monitors, IV pumps, pump monitors and incubators procured from funds (CDN $100,000) raised by the GHTK. Prior to the commissioning, the unit was in dire need of incubators, which supports the breathing of premature infants while they are still hospitalized.
Critical Demand
According to Dr. Singh, more than 15,000 babies are born in the country annually, approximately 6000 are delivered at the Georgetown Public Hospital, hence, it is critical for the hospital to meet the demands of the neonatal and infant population.
With the inclusion of the four regional hospitals: Suddie Public Hospital, the West Demerara Regional Hospital, the Linden Hospital Complex and the New Amsterdam Hospital, approximately 85 per cent of all babies born in a given year was delivered at the central health institutions. As a result, the GHTK is in the process of incorporating the regional health institutions.
“If we want to impact neonatal mortality in the country, we have to ensure that all babies that are born in Guyana have access to the best possible service, so we are expanding our program,” Dr. Singh said.
According to him, the GHTK has opened a NICU in Linden and New Amsterdam and has provided essential pieces of equipment. Meanwhile, a feasibility study is being conducted at the Suddie Public Hospital. The GHTK is hoping to commission the facility at Suddie in March 2014 and similarly a unit at the West Demerara Regional Hospital by August 2014.
Medical practitioners at the various institutions in which NICUs have been installed, are responding positively to this level of development.
Good Nurses
“We have a generation of nurses and physicians in our program that are extremely excited about what they are doing and I think that lends itself well five and 10 years from now, for these same individuals to take leadership in the program. That's what I am particularly excited about. ”
Recognizing the need for biomedical and respirator support to ensure the functionality and longevity of the very sensitive equipment, technical experts from the Humber River Regional Hospital, Nationwide Children’s Hospital and the Hospital For Sick Kids have signaled their willingness to assist with this aspect of the program.
Meanwhile, turning his attention to the work of the Health Ministry in meeting the needs of the neonatal and infant population, the chief of pediatrics at Humber River Hospital said the government of Guyana is doing a very good job.
“I strongly believe over the last 10-15 years, the government of Guyana has implemented many policies nationwide, that has resulted in a pretty remarkable drop in mortality and morbidity of the pediatric population.”
He said this level of development is a step in the right direction, noting that Guyana’s ability to reduce the under-five mortality rate is extremely encouraging. In the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Guyana has already met the target of reducing the under-five mortality rate two-thirds by 2015. According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the under-five mortality rate in Guyana has drop from 120 per 1000 live births in 1991 to 17 per 1000 live births in 2008, resulting in early achievements of the MDG target.
Article written by: Guyana Times (Published December 2, 2013).
Guyana Help The Kids (GHTK) is a registered Canadian charity with the goal of decreasing the neonatal and infant mortality in developing countries, particularly in Guyana. We aim to achieve this goal through sustainable changes within the healthcare sector. Our major focus has been to provide comprehensive education to local physicians, nurses and other allied healthcare professionals. In addition, we have been assisting with the procurement of specialized equipment to elevate the level of neonatal care.
Visit Guyana Help the Kids Website: http://www.guyanahelpthekids.com
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/GuyanaHelpTheKids
Media Contact:
Tiffany Ford
Guyana Help the Kids
taford@guyanahelpthekids.com
(647) 297-3148
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