Guyanese take advantage of medical outreach …say drugs are expensive, “GPHC pushes you around”

May 30, 2022 News

Kaieteur News – An Independence Day outreach hosted at Naeem’s Soup Kitchen located on Brickdam, Georgetown was not only attended by the homeless persons but also working class Guyanese who spoke about the hassle to access healthcare at the state-run Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.

Naeem’s Kitchen would normally prepare meals for the homeless and the United States’ (US) Civil Affairs Team picked the location as an ideal spot to host the outreach.
Kaieteur News was privileged to be on the ground to have a firsthand look of what was going on and found out that among those who attended were persons who took a break from their jobs to benefit from the medical services provided.

A man receiving a haircut at outreach.

Two of them spoke with Kaieteur News and said that after hearing there was a medical outreach there, they rushed down to take advantage of the medical check-ups because medicine at pharmacies are very expensive and if they go to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), “it will be long wait and lots of push around”.

The two individuals were a farmer who wished to identify himself only as “Kemo” of Mahaica, East Coast Demerara (ECD) and a 77-year-old woman (name provided).

Kemo said, “Well meh from Mahaica and meh deh in town and then meh hear this place got some doctors that are looking after you here and giving you tablets”.

Leader of the U.S. Embassy Civil Affairs Team, Kelly McDonald and one of her colleagues (centre) flanked to the left by a volunteer of IOM and to right, by the Head of the Guyana Medical Relief

The farmer continued that he is happy that he got the opportunity to get a check-up by one of the doctors and added, “Is good that you could get people to come and help out one or two people because yuh know, you can’t affford to go buy tablets and see the doctor (private) and sometime when you go Georgetown Hospital, yuh does get lil push round”.

The 77-year-old woman related that she has had a problem with her knees for a while now. “I can’t stand up too long; it does start to pain”, she said. She noted that it is very costly to keep buying the treatment that she needs and is grateful that she was able to cash in on some free medicine on Independence Day. The US team collaborated with the Guyana Medical Relief (GMR), The Central Islamic Organisation Guyana (CIOG), SEWA, the International Organisation of Migration (IOM), Food for the Poor, The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), the Guyana Cancer Society, and Roberto’s Barbershop to make the event successful one.

A scene from the outreach.

Some of the services provided were free haircuts, free medicine, counseling services, HIV testing, dental check-ups, medical checkups, clothes for the homeless, baths, manicures, pedicures, etc.

Speaking with Kaieteur News the US Embassy Civil Affairs Team’s Leader, Kelly McDonald, said that her team just wanted to give something back to Guyana for Independence day. She said that the US team’s main objective is to provide humanitarian help around the world by going into cities and hinterland regions to see what assistance is needed. Here in Guyana, according to McDonald, her team is working along with local organisations and NGOs (Non-Governmental Organization) to provide humanitarian assistance to Guyanese. The US Civil Affairs team is planning to host another outreach in June.