– now able to provide better services

─ facilitating monitoring and evaluation

The Vector Control Services Unit of the Bartica Regional Hospital caters mainly to malaria patients and other vector related illnesses. For some time, the staff of the unit were operating in a facility cramped for space, in the hospital compound.

Just recently, the area was refurbished at a cost of more than $3M to alleviate the situation. Also, included in this refurbishment was the addition of equipment, waiting areas, office space and staff workstation.

Regional Health Officer (RHO) of the Cuyuni-Mazaruni Region, Dr. Edward Sagala has indicated that this was something pending but eventually completed and welcomed by the staff. It would now be of great benefit to both patients and health care personnel in the diagnosis of malaria patients.

“It is an ideal environment for the staff to now work and patients who come in bad conditions. Patients don’t have to be immediately admitted they can start treatment here,” the RHO said.

The purchase and installation of new microscopes among other improvements to the unit’s internal infrastructure will also allow for microscopic testing for vector related illnesses and the provision of timely results for further medical interventions.

Additionally, a monitoring and evaluation team is also in place at the unit to track cases and gather information regarding the work done by the unit.

“Most of the work happens in this area, the monitoring and evaluation team is also based here and they schedule visits and travel not only to riverine areas but also areas throughout the region, lower, middle and upper Mazaruni,” Dr. Sagala noted.

Source: DPI