GPHC’s Maternity Ward to benefit from $235.9M upgrade

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Former Member

GPHC’s Maternity Ward to benefit from $235.9M upgrade

Written by Gina Webmasters, Published in News, Georgetown GINA, January 08, 2015, Source - GINA

The maternity ward at the GPHC

The maternity ward at the GPHC

As Government strives to ensure its citizens benefit from a higher quality health care, there has been continuous investment in the development of facilities. In this light, $235.9M million has been approved for the extension of the Maternity Ward at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Speaking to the Government Information Agency (GINA), GPHC’s Director of Facilities Management, Kamal Haricharan, noted that the money which was approved for the project will see the addition of 70 beds for pre-natal as well as post-natal care.

It will also cater for the addition of a new operating theater, to ease the burden on the two existing ones at the ward, especially in what is known as ‘peak periods.’

Part of this funding will also be used for re-designing the 24- bed level, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the hospital, which has been delivering a greater level of care to neonates since its establishment.

In 2014, $50M was budgeted for this project and has been used as a consulting fee. Upgrade works on the ward are expected to commence in early February.

The Health Ministry continues to work towards achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 5, which is to reduce by three-quarters, between 1990 and 2015, the maternal mortality ratio.

Also in 2014, $22.6 million was allocated for the establishment of maternity waiting homes, in Lethem and Bartica, to cater for antenatal high-risk mothers.

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Former Member

GPHC’s Emergency Medical Services to be further enhanced- approximately 3000 calls responded to in 2014

Written by Gina Webmasters, Published in News, Georgetown GINA, January 08, 2015

The Emergency Medical Technicians [EMT) sharing a light moment with Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation’s Director of Accident & Emergency, Dr Zulfikar Bux

The Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) sharing a light moment with Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation’s Director of Accident & Emergency, Dr Zulfikar Bux

The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation’s (GPHC) Emergency Medical Services (EMS) which was established in February 2014, with guidance from Dr. Zulfikar Bux, Director of Accident and Emergency department at the hospital, has thus far seen the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) team responding to approximately 3000 emergencies

The EMS service is designed to provide emergency medical response for patients, who are in need of urgent medical care, before actually making it to the hospital. It is administered by EMTs, who are specially trained to deliver emergency medical care to patients on scene and en route to the hospital. These individuals are tasked with the responsibility of retrieving patients and delivering them to the emergency room in a safe, efficient and timely manner.

According to Dr. Bux, this batch of technicians is the first in a pilot project which aims to have emergency medical response services available at the country’s five main hospitals and possibly across the country. This pilot initiative will gradually expand in phases to the different regions of Guyana. He also noted that close to 50 individuals have been trained as EMTs, including persons from the Guyana Police Force (GPC), Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the Guyana Fire Service (GFS), along with medical personnel.

He added that the major goal is to have a National EMS body which will control the daily operations of EMS services in Guyana. The target facility for the housing of this unit is Project Dawn, Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara.

Also, communication is a key aspect of any response system, so in this light, a dispatch system is currently being developed, and when in force will be a part of the National EMS body’s housing unit.

Further, Dr. Bux noted that medical evacuation is very important, especially with regard to response to accidents in the Hinterland. Hence, work is being conducted to develop a Medivac (medical evacuation) response system to have a timelier and more efficient evacuation system.

Minister of Health Dr. Bheri Ramsaran has noted that there are plans to further expand the skills of the EMTs, by training them in the administration of blood and oxygen. This will also include the matching of blood groups.

This project has received tremendous support from the Vanderbilt Medical Center and the Morris Foundation in the U.S.A. The former, which is renowned for being one of the best Emergency Hospitals in the U.S.A, has been collaborating with the Ministry of Health and the GPHC, to develop Emergency Medicine in Guyana. It has thus far trained three specialist emergency doctors and is expected to graduate 12 others, over the next three years.

These doctors are expected to continue the development of Emergency Medicine so that Specialised Emergency Medicare will become accessible to Guyanese.

The Vanderbilt Medical center has also partnered with the Morris Foundation, to provide Guyana with the necessary resources for the development of this sector.

1/9/151:03 PM

Former Member

GPHC receives $11M ambulance to enhance emergency medical response

Written by Gina Webmasters, Published in News, Georgetown, GINA, January 08, 2015, Source - GINA

Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation’s Director of Accident and Emergency Department, Dr. Zulfikar Bux handing over the trophy for best performing Emergency Medical Technician in 2014 to Ron Morris as Minister of Health Dr. Bheri Ramsaran looks on.

The Ministry of Health today, handed over an ambulance, procured at the cost of $11M to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation’s (GPHC) Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) team, by Minister of Health Dr. Bheri Ramsaran, to enhance Emergency Medical Response (EMR).

This team has been complementing the services offered at the hospital over the past year. It was set up since February 2014, after the technicians underwent training in Emergency Response. Members have thus far responded to approximately 3000 emergency calls, coming out from the various regions and districts in the country.

In 2014, the team delivered the first baby in an ambulance in Guyana; it also delivered three other babies, before reaching the hospital, including a twin delivery. Members of the unit have delivered multiple sick patients to the emergency room and who needed immediate care, including those in motor vehicle accidents, those having heart attacks and even those from the hinterland communities requiring Emergency Medical Evacuation (EME).

Recognising the hard work of the team, Minister Ramsaran expressed gratitude not to only the technicians, but also the Director of the Accident and Emergency Unit at the hospital, Dr. Zulfikar Bux, who has been emphasising on the need for EMR and has been fully supporting the team, whose members were all urged to continue the good work.

GPHC’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Michael Khan hands over the group trophy to one of the Emergency Medical Technicians as Minister of Health Dr. Bheri Ramsaran and Director of the Accident and Emergency Department, Dr. Zulfikar Bux looks on.

Further, to express gratitude for the work carried out by the team, the members were treated to breakfast. They were joined by the minister, GPHC’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Michael Khan, and Director of Medical and Professional Services, Dr. Sheik Amir, along with Dr. Bux.

Following the breakfast, a trophy, as a token of reward for the hard work, was presented to the team. Ron Morris, Training and Development Officer, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) was also presented with a trophy, as he was recognised as the best performing EMT in 2014.

Minister of Health Dr. Bheri Ramsaran handing over the keys to the new ambulance at Director of the Accident and Emergency Department, Dr. Zulfikar Bux

Morris expressed happiness to be a part of the team and is proud of the success they have had in terms of helping so many people, despite some challenging situations. He added that there is still a lot more that the team can and will strive to accomplish.

1/9/151:09 PM

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