Latest update November 8th, 2024 1:00 AM
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Cuban Medical Brigade reaches out to hundreds at eye clinics
The Cuban Medical Brigade attached to the Ministry of Health (MoH) conducted several health clinics across Berbice over the past week. It visited Edinburgh, Sisters, Mara, East Bank Berbice, and Albion on the Corentyne.
Hundreds were seen by the visiting optometrists who also carried out eye tests.
Heading the team was coordinator of the Brigade, Lakeram Bharrat. Also accompanying the team of doctors was Berbice Member of Parliament, Faizal M. Jaffarally who lashed out at the combined opposition for blocking funding for the specialty hospital project as well as for the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) in the National Assembly.
One of opticians tending to a patient at the Sisters’ Village health mission.
At Sisters, East Bank Berbice, more than 100 patients sought the services. A similar number visited the clinics at Edinburgh and Sisters Village. To complement the eye care, random blood sugar testing as well as blood tests was done.
Future visits are planned for the far-flung East Bank Berbice communities of Mara, Plegt Anker, Orealla and Siparuta, “all part of the Ministry’s initiative of taking healthcare to the people”.
Bharrat added that the MoH is continuing its medical outreach all across the country. Jaffarally praised the initiative of the Minister of Health for bringing eye care health services to rural communities. “We thought it was necessary to come out to these communities, bring the doctors, bring the nurses and have their eyes tested.”
He noted that not only would patients be referred to the National Ophthalmology Centre (NOC) at Port Mourant for eye surgeries, but the doctors and executors of the medical outreach will take their phone numbers and keep in contact with them to make sure that they visit the NOC for the surgery and monitor their progress.
“I want to commend the MoH the minister in particular, who is very passionate to having this outreach programme.”
He said how upset he was when the political opposition cut “that important development” of the specialty hospital for our country. He noted that this is not just another hospital. “This hospital would have dealt with specialized services, where ordinary Guyanese people will benefit in a very positive way.” Jaffarally noted how expensive it is to access eye care overseas. In addition, many Guyanese who want to access these overseas services cannot obtain a U.S. Visa and “here we will have this facility to benefit the Guyanese people” He is hoping that the opposition re -think their position… I’m very, very disappointed in what they did there”.
Jaffarally was pleased that the business community, trade unions, religious organizations, print media, NGO’s are speaking out about the cuts to the various sectors, “and His Excellency has stated that he is willing to sit with them, and to look at it again and have further discussions to see where he can come to a conclusion but we cannot stagnate development in our country.”
He also noted his dissatisfaction in the fact that the money for this hospital is coming from the Indian government—funding from outside. “It’s not like we are taking money from the treasury itself…”
He urged Bebricians to understand what is really happening and how the two parties voted down the GPL money for the other parts of the country.
“What is going to be the reality? Electricity tariffs will have to be increased and I hope Berbicians will understand,” he said.
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