Chief of Pediatrics at Humber River Hospital
Last Saturday October 5, Guyana Help The Kids, (GHTK) held its third annual Dinner and Dance at The Woodbine Banquet and Convention Hall in Toronto. The event was well attended with over 700 supporters of GHTK showing up to be informed and updated about the charitie’s accomplishments over the last year and its plans for the coming year. The number of people attending this charitable event has more than doubled since its inception three years ago. Master of Ceremonies, Mr. Mahendra Singh smoothly guided the evening’s proceedings and as he looked around the elegant banquet hall at the supporters of the charity wondered aloud who was taking care of business at Humber River Hospital. About 150 members of this hospital were in attendance at this very worthwhile cause.
President of Guyana Help The Kids charity and Chief of Pediatrics at Humber River Hospital, Dr. Narendra Singh then took the podium and reminded the audience that the overall objective of the GHTK is to reduce infant mortality in Guyana by implementing sustainable changes through education and technology.
Continuing, Dr. Singh said that the initial part of the project has been focused at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) with the opening of a new Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU), an innovative Pediatric Residency Program and a Neonatal Nursing Program. The shared vision between GHTK and the Ministry of Health in Guyana is to expand the program to regional hospitals in New Amsterdam, Linden, Suddie and West Demerara. Two new Neonatal Intensive Care Units have since been commissioned at the New Amsterdam and Linden hospitals. These were funded by a C$25,000 donation from the International Development and Relief Foundation (IDRF), under the chairmanship of Mr. Winston Kassim, Order of Canada. Dr. Singh briefly outlined the goals for 2013-2014 which include expanding the Neonatal Intensive Care Units to West Demerara and Suddie hospitals, continue training of doctors and nurses and initiating a new Pediatric Cancer Program.
In an effort to evaluate the ongoing processes objectively to ensure that the various interventions have benefited infant mortality, GHTK has embarked on other specific research projects, the first to include “The impact of an infection control policy on the incidence of nosocomial infections and mortality at GPHC”. GHTK has already demonstrated a 40% drop in neonatal mortality and infections in the NICU at GPHC for the past year, Dr. Singh concluded.
Medical technology equipment specialist.
In addition, Mr. Kelly Pearce, secretary of GTHK and medical equipment technology specialist, has been helping with the procurement of specialized equipment to elevate the level of neonatal care at the various hospitals in Guyana. GHTK also provided biomedical and respiratory care support.
GHTK has been able to garner the help of Dr. Julie Johnstone of the world renowned SickKids hospital in Toronto and Curriculum Co-coordinator Pediatric Residency. In her address to the audience, Dr. Johnstone expressed what an absolute pleasure it is to work with the doctors and nurses in Guyana. She is particularly impressed with the level of motivation and the thirst for knowledge displayed by the doctors and nurses with whom she worked and continues to work. She went on to explain that the residency program is modeled after the existing program at SickKids and that there is no difference between the two programs. Dr. Julie Johnstone also indicated that the model being developed in collaboration with The Ministry of Health and the University of Guyana can be used to develop similar programs in other developing countries.
Faculty members from the University of Toronto, McMasters University and other universities in North America have been travelling monthly to provide didactic and bedside teaching in keeping with this uniquely developed curriculum. Two doctors graduated this year as consultant pediatricians and 10 doctors are in training.
Nationwide Children’s Hospital in collaboration with GHTK and the Ministry of Health in Guyana has developed a one-year neonatal nursing program at GPHC.
The first year has been completed and 11 nurses have graduated from this program. This November 20 more nurses are expected to begin neonatal training. The program will run for at least 3 consecutive years to ensure a full complement of nurses for the entire country.
Travelling to Guyana to offer their invaluable help with regards to setting up a Pediatric Cancer Program at the GPHC were Dr. Lorna Fitzpatrick, a pediatric oncology and pediatric hematology specialist and Dr. Amanda Persaud, a Guyanese and also a pediatrician. They are both from Buffalo, New York. Dr. Fizpatrick and her team are expected to return to Guyana next week to continue providing her assistance to the GPHC.
