With input from Canadian team … re-developed GPHC unit to lower infant mortality rate opens
Georgetown, GINA, March 16, 2012
First Lady Deolatchmee Ramotar assisted by Dr. Beverley Barnett of PAHO/WHO unveils the name plaque of the neonatal unit. Health Minister Dr Bheri Ramsaran and Dr. Narendra Singh, Chief of Paediatrics at the Humber River Regional Hospital, Canada look on approvingly
The neo-natal intensive care unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) today was declared open by First Lady Deolatchmee Ramotar and Minister of Health Dr. Bheri Ramsaran after it was re-developed and outfitted through a partnership between GPHC and Guyana Help the Kids (GHTK).
A neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) which is sometimes referred to as a special care nursery is a unit which specialises in the care of ill or premature newborn infants.
This unit will add to the range of services which already exists at the institution, and will complement government’s efforts of decreasing infant mortality.
The First Lady said that such a unit is exceptional and with the outfitted staff that are specially trained with this type of nursing care will see Guyana’s infant mortality rate decreasing considerably as it provides the right environment for the fetus which would not have had a safe delivery.
“This is a good initiative…this unit will assist in decreasing the country’s infant mortality rate as it provides the level of care that is needed by an infant,” Mrs Ramotar said.
She added that such a unit is necessary also because it helps the mother to develop a bond with the child at that premature state which is helpful.
First Lady Deolatchmee Ramotar tours the Neonatal Intensive Care unit
Dr. Narendra Singh, Chief of Paediatrics of Humber River Regional Hospital in Canada said that he and team covered significant ground in making the unit’s commissioning a reality.
“We realised that we cannot only train the doctors and nurses and leave them…we therefore thought it best that we provide the necessary equipment that will complement their training and will see a better health care service being provided to those in need,” Dr. Singh said.
A partnership that started two years ago with training for resident doctors to become paediatricians has given a boost to the neo-natal unit as five paediatricians are at present in training, two of whom are expected to graduate in 2012 and the remainder the subsequent year, to supplement the cadre of paediatricians available locally.
A newborn baby in an incubator in the newly commissioned Neonatal Intensive Care unit at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation
Over the period, the programme has seen the supply of sophisticated pieces of equipment for intensive care including incubators, warmers, bassinettes, IV pumps and monitors compliments of the Canadian doctor and team.
Additionally, qualified physicians from the University of Mc Masters and the University of Western Ontario in Canada also conduct voluntary missions to Guyana on a monthly basis to train local physicians and nurses.
Dr. Madan Rambarran, a driving force behind the upgrade of the unit said that this is a little milestone in a project that will take GPHC to a level of paediatric and natal care which has to do with women’s health amongst other things.
“Whilst this step is rated amongst the best in the Caribbean the most important thing is to ensure that the requisite education is there for those that have to man the unit…one of the initial things we have been looking at is how we can train doctors and nurses, so we started the residency education programme,” Dr Rambarran said.
“That partnership has been working to put in place this infrastructural development…PAHO has been a big support with defining curricula and providing technical support…whilst the GPHC made funding available for the department the equipment came from our Canadian friends,” Rambarran said.
He continued that the neonatal rate over the years moved from 100 in every 1000 to 20 to every 1000 which signals tremendous improvement. Having such a unit in place will see the rate decreasing over the years.
Health Minister Dr Bheri Ramsaran listens keenly as Dr. Narendra Singh; Chief of Paediatrics at the Humber River Regional Hospital, Canada makes a point. Dr Singh has contributed to the realisation of the neonatal unit at the GPHC
Minister of Health Dr. Bheri Ramsaran congratulated members of the team who worked tirelessly to make the unit a reality.
The problem of premature and congenitally ill infants is not a new one as before the industrial revolution, premature and ill infants were born and cared for at home and either lived or died without medical intervention.
The infant incubator was first developed based on the incubators used for chicken eggs as an attempt to keep premature infants.
Neonatology and NICUs have greatly increased the survival of very low birth weight infants.
Meanwhile, Dr Singh was accompanied by Ryan Hinds, Ambassador for the GHTK who is here on a fact finding mission to aid in fund raising activities overseas for the locally executed programme.
Hinds, a defensive back on the Hamilton Tiger Cats (American football) team is a Guyanese by birth.