Canada-Guyana healthcare partnership hailed

By Whitney Persaud –

Outgoing Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana David Devine on Tuesday evening hosted a reception in honour of the Canada-Guyana partnerships for healthcare development initiatives which have been undertaken in the areas of cardiology and urology in Guyana.
Addressing doctors and other officials at his residence, Devine said he is proud of the collaborations and the achievements of these initiatives, particularly the vital role played by the University of Calgary, the Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta (LCIA) and the other partners, most importantly, Health Minister Dr Bheri Ramsaran and the government by extension for facilitating such a partnership.

Pointing out a few of the achievements, Devine alluded to the Guyana Diabetic Foot Care Project. Under this project, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) partnered with the Health Ministry and the Canadian Association of General Surgeons to set up several diabetic foot centres around the country.
According to him, as a result of this project, amputations of diabetic feet have decreased by more than 50 per cent.
“Following this, regional diabetic foot centres have been established in Regions Two, Three, Four, Six and 10,” he informed. To this end, he announced that the project has won the 2013 award for best research from a developing country from the Journal of Wound Care (JWC). The JWC publishes independent, accessible, high-quality, evidence-based articles that fulfil the needs of the multidisciplinary team, and provides a forum for the worldwide wound-care community.
The JWC is the definitive wound care journal and the leading source of tissue viability research and clinical information.
Launched in 1992, it is designed to meet the needs of the multidisciplinary team. The journal is essential reading for all wound care specialists – nurses, doctors and researchers – who are keen to keep up-to-date with all developments in wound management and tissue viability, but also appeals to generalists wishing to enhance their practice.
The JWC is internationally renowned for its cutting-edge and state-of-the-art research and practice articles. It also covers management, education and novel therapies.

Articles are rigorously peer-reviewed by a panel of international experts.
Health Minister Dr Bheri Ramsaran fully endorsed the comments that were made by the high commissioner and according to him, over the last four years; there have been significant developments and positive changes in Guyana’s health sector, stemming from the strong partnerships and invaluable investments made through the collaborative efforts.
He said Guyana is grateful to Canada for not only investing in the sector, but for also working with the country to ensure that those visions and goals that have been set out are realised and sustained.
“Canada has brought a lot to Guyana and the well equipped and skilled staff bring a different work ethic to the hospitals.” This, he said has majorly influenced a turnaround in behavioural attitudes of medical workers.
Dr Ramsaran noted that a significant amount of monies are allocated each year in the national budget with the intention of improving, enhancing and upkeeping the health sector.