Health services in Takutu Upper-Essequibo Upper (Region Nine) have been improved by installing an ultrasound machine and digital x-ray unit at Lethem Regional Hospital earlier this year.
To date around 633 residents have benefited from operating the ultrasound machine.
Dr. Lisa Adams-Uthman told DPI that the Hospital started offering this service in mid January. Although most of the cases were related to obstetrics, he said abdominal, urology (for men), gynecological, breast, scrotal, soft tissue and other ultrasound services are also offered.
Dr. Adams-Uthman said that these services are now available because of the Government’s efforts to increase access to quality healthcare in the hinterland. He added that the ultrasound machine, “enabled us to catch many pregnant women doing obstetric ultrasound to scan their developing fetuses and so far, we have caught … many abnormalities in these patients.”
The doctor said having the machine contributed to a reduction in maternal mortality, as it allowed the hospital to screen and monitor high-risk pregnancies.
In addition, the Deputy Regional Health Officer (Ag.) Olivia Vaz found that Lethem Hospital’s digital x-ray unit had “worked wonders” for some 150 patients over the past two months.
“Previously, our theater was only able to handle one emergency surgery or elective surgery at a time … We hope we would be able to have two emergency surgeries, multiple elective surgeries, at the end of the build phase, thereby reducing the waiting time for residents of Region Nine, ”he told DPI.
Dr. Vaz stated that the health department had been in a “long battle” over the unit. However, its acquisition has allowed doctors to provide better patient care.
“We are used to having a lot of Brazilian patients come over to access our services here and now that we have a digital system, which is not very resource intensive. We hope to provide this service to them because we have a good relationship with the Brazilian health system and so it helped to build the bond between two countries. ”
Dr. Vaz that the administration is committed to providing better health care services to its residents regardless of their geographical location.