March 26, 2017 Source

GUYANA’S Public Health Minister, Volda Lawrence, has been elected vice-chair of the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) Sub-Committee of Budget and Planning.
Lawrence is the first Guyanese health minister to be appointed to that post. She accepted the appointment while attending the 11th Session of the PAHO Sub-committee on Programme, Budget, and Administration in Washington DC on Friday. The sub-committee is an auxiliary body of the executive committee with responsibility for aspects of programme administration.
PAHO’s draft programme and budget for 2018 and 2019 was among issues discussed during the three-day forum held at PAHO headquarters from March 22-24. The primary function of the sub-committee is to review and as appropriate, make recommendations to the executive committee.
Before returning to Guyana, the public health minister used the opportunity to meet with Guyanese professionals living and working in the Washington DC and Maryland areas. During that meeting at the Guyana Embassy in Washington DC, Minister Lawrence said she is cognisant of the fact that there are still loopholes in the public health system, but said under her watch, they will be addressed though it may take some time.
According to her, there will be law and order at the Public Health Ministry. Government, she said, is not only committed to having better infrastructure in place, but greater levels of accountability and transparency, especially during the procurement of drugs and medical supplies.

“People are suffering, they are not getting drugs,” she lamented. Just recently, the public health minister had cause to fast track the procurement of critical drugs in order to safeguard the health of the nation.
Her ministry had sought the approval of the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) for ANSA McAl to supply drugs and pharmaceuticals to the tune of some $605M.
The Trinidad conglomerate was among four companies, including New GPC, Health 2000 and ChirosynDiscovery, from which these emergency supplies were procured.
“My priority is to ensure the nation’s health is given top priority. The health system will not be held hostage by unprincipled persons and therefore I made the decision to shortlist the critical but unavailable items and the suppliers with the ability to provide them on time to avert deepening the drug-demand difficulties,” Minister Lawrence had said in a statement.
The poor performance of nurses in training was another issue brought to the fore, with the public health minister underscoring the importance of raising the bar for lecturers. Close to 100 per cent of the student nurses that recently re-sat the 2016 Professional Nurses State Final Examination had failed.
In addition, Minister Lawrence plans to address the heavy work load of the regional health officers by appointing deputy regional health officers. It is expected to enhance the level of efficiency within the public health care system.
Minister Lawrence praised Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr Karen Cummings, for her work and “the bright young people at the ministry.” She also thanked the Guyanese diaspora for all the assistance they have been giving to the Ministry of Public Health, and encouraged them to drop by and have a conversation with the local operatives, whenever they visit Guyana. Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence, was accompanied on this trip by Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr Karen Gordon-Boyle.