Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
May 23, 2021 News
By Malisa Playter Harry
Kaieteur News – Guyana is currently on course to achieving herd immunity against COVID-19. Since the introduction of the vaccination programme a few months ago, health care professionals have been doing their part to help achieve this goal.
Given the valiant and tireless efforts of those within the health care system, this publication will continue to recognise them.
Today we highlight the work of yet another dedicated and hardworking health care professional, Nurse Sherilyn Marks, who heads the COVID-19 vaccination team in Region Six.
Among her duties, Nurse Marks is responsible for ensuring that all health centres in the Region have adequate vaccines on a daily basis.
Born on January 19, 1989, our featured Frontline Worker is as passionate about her job as any dedicated person can be. Her desire to challenge herself while making a difference is laudable since getting through a work day is no walk in the park. Despite her busy schedule, she was able to share some of her time with Kaieteur News recently for a short interview.
Nurse Marks spoke of her upbringing at Hadfield Street, Lodge, Georgetown where she resided with her parents and three siblings. She attended the St. Gabriel’s Nursery and Primary schools before moving on to the South Ruimveldt Secondary and then the St. Roses High schools. After completing her secondary education, she pursued the professional nursing and midwifery programmes and later went on to complete the bachelor’s degree in nursing.
She commenced her nursing training in 2009 and since completing her studies in 2011, she has been a dedicated health care professional. Her first six months as a nurse was at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation before being placed at the Mahdia District Hospital for a period of 18 months. She was subsequently transferred to the Fort Wellington Hospital and spent five years there before accepting placement at the Bushlot Health Centre for a period of six months. She was eventually transferred to Region Six where she was tasked with overseeing the Williamsburg Health Centre.
Although her decision to delve into health care came as no surprise, since she’d essentially followed in the foot-steps of her parents, Nurse Marks related that becoming a nurse was not her first career choice. She had in fact envisioned herself having a career in veterinary medicine and had even applied to undertake a programme at the Guyana School of Agriculture. But, according to Nurse Marks, her parents managed to convince her to join the nursing profession.
Her mother, now retired, was a Health Visitor while her father is currently a Registered Nurse and Pharmacist.
Today she has no regrets. In fact, she recalled that when the pandemic hit the country last year there was a need for frontline workers. She also noted that when the vaccination campaign started there was also a need for health care workers to lead in that capacity. Elated to be in a crucial position to help combat the virus, Nurse Marks willingly accepted whatever task was thrust upon her. According to Nurse Marks, “when doctor asked me to be the one responsible for the roll out of the vaccination programme, I agreed.” She went on to note, “if persons know me personally, they would tell you that I am a person always willing. Anybody can ask me to do something and once I see that it will help in any kind of way, I don’t have a problem.”
Her responsibilities these days include ensuring that the region has sufficient vaccines for its 21 health centres as well as syringes, dry ice, among other needed items.
But sometimes the work does become quite challenging. In fact, according to Nurse Marks, one of the main challenges that have surfaced was related to the supply and demand of dry ice to keep the COVID-19 vaccines at the right temperature. “This vaccine must be at a certain temperature, so having adequate dry ice for 21 centres is difficult at times. The dry ice don’t keep for long…so sometimes some of the centres have to either bring their stuff or call us late because some of them work very late and then they would call for transportation,” said Nurse Marks. She noted, however, that “the centres have been working really hard in terms of preserving the dry ice…they have found ways in which they can keep dry ice overnight and right now it is not so much of a big challenge.”
Nurse Marks noted too that she has evolved as a health care professional since the pandemic hit. According to her, she has been able to garner knowledge in terms of health care management in the region. She noted that it was difficult in the beginning but “it got easier to manage.”
Nurse Marks, who has visited the health centres across the Region “to see how exactly the vaccination is being administered generally and…to help them in their technique and the way in which they approach persons,” has gained an even greater appreciation for her role as a nurse. “You get to be more with a patient, and you get to know more about a patient, and you get to care for them more,” she said.
Given the fact that the pandemic still prevails, Nurse Marks is encouraging persons to be vaccinated so that the threat of COVID-19 can soon become a thing of the past.
Please share this to every Guyanese including your house cats.
Apr 19, 2024
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