Guyana Help the Kids (GHTK), a registered Canadian charity, led by Guyanese-born doctor Narendra Singh, continues with its work in Toronto to improve neonatal care in Guyana. The charity continues to spearhead training of Guyanese pediatricians and nurses, having already invested in upgraded neonatal facilities and equipment in Guyana’s hospitals.
A release from the charity noted that Dr Singh, Chief of Pediatrics at Humber River Regional Hospital, on a visit to the country of his birth four years ago, was dismayed to see the facilities and equipment that the neonatal unit of the local hospital had to deal with. Due to lack of incubators, some babies were being cared for in wooden boxes and there were no specialized staff.
“They were good people, very well intentioned, but without proper training or equipment,” Dr Singh said, adding that “They were doing the very best they could, given the circumstances.”
This led him to start a residency programme for physicians in Guyana to receive pediatric training.
“By bringing specialists from University of Toronto, McMaster University and other universities in North America together with their Guyanese counterparts and the Guyanese government, Dr Singh was able to develop a sustainable training program that will increase the number of specialists in the country,” the release explained. Doctors give their time to travel to Guyana to teach.
Once training was underway, Dr Singh sought to address the need for the correct technology and equipment. GHTK was formed to help raise funds for the procurement of up-to-date incubators, ventilators, monitors and other equipment.
Updated technology
As a result of GHTK’s efforts, the hospital in the nation’s capital Georgetown opened a new 24-bed Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in 2012 and within its first year, infant mortality in the hospital reduced by 50 per cent. Another NICU opened in New Amsterdam in May 2013.
Infants are now cared for using the same equipment as would be found in any NICU in Canada. “It’s a good relationship,” Dr Singh noted. “The hospitals provide the rooms, the oxygen and the AC. We provide the equipment, and we train the doctors and nurses,” he related.
GHTK’s program has now expanded to include neonatal nurse training in conjunction with the Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. The first eleven nurses graduated from the programme in June and 20 more are expected to graduate next year.
Also, this September will see the number of pediatricians in the country double from two to four, with eight more in training.
GHTK has plans for more NICU’s around the country and also plans to start training technicians in the care of the specialized equipment. Technical experts from Humber River Regional hospital, Nationwide Children’s Hospital and the Hospital for Sick Kids have volunteered to assist with this critical aspect of the program.
As part of its ongoing fundraising efforts, GHTK is holding its annual dinner and dance on October 5, 2013 at the Woodbine Banquet Hall. The event will have a Vegas theme with gaming tables and will feature live music from the Triple Play Band, a release from the charity indicated.
