Georgetown : Minister of Public Health, Dr George Norton, in his contribution to the debate on President Granger’s address to Parliament, gave an illustrative and analytical overview of the national health care system, underlining the urgency for a restoration and elevation of services, manned by well-trained Guyanese specialists who can offer equitable primary health care, especially to the women, children and the aged.
Quoting from President Granger’s speech to Parliament, in which it was emphasised that whether resident on the coastland or in the hinterland, rich or poor, he said all should have access to equitable primary health care. Minister Norton said that it is one goal that will be pursued “vigorously”.
He said that the mother in Aishalton should be able to access equal maternal health care as the mother in Georgetown, or Mahaicony, with the same coverage given to the child; or to the aged, irrespective of their place of residence.
Continuing, Dr Norton posited that the government would not give support or encourage any special sector in the society, or particular individuals to benefit from costly medical treatment that is not privy to, by the rest of the citizenry because of their economic status or political affiliation.
Explaining the structure of the national health care system, the minister said these were of five levels: Level 1, which is the national referral system, with specialist doctors in every field, Level 2, in which there is specialist care in the four specialist areas of general surgery, paediatrics, internal medicine, and obstetrics and gynaecology, Level 3, the district or cottage hospital where there should be general medical officers, Level 4, where there are health visitors, midwives, and nursing assistants and Level 5, comprising the health posts, in which the community health worker renders service.
Elaborating on the latter level, Dr Norton said that such an outpost does provide obstetric care in the delivery of babies, and he would endeavour to have a midwife along with the community health worker. He mentioned that in an upper Pomeroon village, the midwife there gave birth to an annual average of 25 five babies.
Focusing on the President’s statement that the primary health care system is failing women, children, and the aged, the Minister said that one of its sub-programmes have to do with nutrition surveillance and nutrition education, and that there will be much emphasis on this segment as it has been found that national “eating habits are going in the wrong direction”, since Guyanese are no longer eating what they produce, such as fruits and vegetables, but instead opt for imported food.
The minister said that there will be efforts on food policy, with specific reference to breast feeding education. Not only will there be a child friendly corner in every health centre or hospital, but that his ministry will lead by example, by having a similar facility in his ministry.
He also lamented the fact that although it is health policy to breast feed for six months, mothers are only given three months leave. This, he said, will have to be discussed, evaluated, and analysed, with the right answers for mothers and babies.
On the issue of adolescent health, he was of the view that this is an area, especially teenage pregnancy that has not been given the prominence it should have. Advocating the need for adolescent friendly clinics, and adolescent health education at school, the minister opined that teenage pregnancy places the person in a high risk category. Referring to the change in lifestyles and development in humans, and that it was no longer abnormal for a Guyanese female to attain the age of puberty at the age of eight. In fact, according to him, females can become physically mature before the age of 13. As a result, such dynamics will form part of the future public health plans.
Minister Norton, on the issue of care for the aged, underlined the neglect of this category, reminding that in his visits to the regions, there have been calls for such a service. He said that no longer must there be failure, in addressing health issues of the aged.
On the importance of maternal and child health and family medicine; Minister Norton once again, alluded to President Granger’s speech, saying that a sub-programme of the primary health care system, caters for the provision of health care services for the entire family. It contains various objectives in accordance with the target of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG), adopted for world health standards. For instance, MDG 4, speaks of child mortality, while 5, is about improving maternal health. These objectives have as their goal, the reduction of child mortality; infant mortality; the reduction of mother to child transmission of HIV; and to prevent or achieve zero cases of vaccine preventable diseases.
Finally, he spoke of the challenges of community health care workers having to climb mountainous terrains and descend into valleys in order to administer vaccines to babies. But there are other problems as well, where villages do not have vaccines because of broken refrigerators, broken solar panels, which Dr Norton illustrated “flies in the face of the equity we are trying to achieve”.
He assured that the Public Health Ministry will do everything to correct this situation.
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