Leave a Reply
Recent Posts
Categories
Archives
- February 2013
- January 2013
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- September 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
RSS Feeds
Social Media Share
Mainstay and Lima Sands: An Update from Guyana
Good morning everyone,
I hope you had a great weekend.
The team found their Thursday clinic in Capoey to be so busy that they decided to extend their work their by another day. The clinic was quite busy, and they saw approximately 130 patients. A few of the more significant health issues they observed included large numbers of individuals experiencing hypertension and diabetes- moreso than what we typically see in Amerindian villages, whose lifestyle and diet usually mean fewer risk factors for these issues. One possible reason for this could be Capoey’s relative proximity to Sudde, a larger town which has access to more Western-style amenities, including dietary options.
The team also noticed a great need for education around the importance of getting pap smears done regularly and the risk of HPV, which can lead to genital warts, cervical cancer, and other issues. The team ran out of certain supplies, including oral contraceptives and some topical creams, and the Regional Health Office is restocking them.
The team took a much needed day of rest yesterday in Mainstay, which is a resort in the area. Because of all the moving around and heavy lifting and intense heat, we sensed the team needed a little rest. They will be sleeping a total of 3 nights at Mainstay – in beds – and had the chance to relax, shower, and have a nice team dinner together yesterday evening. They are hard at work as I write in Lima Sands. The Health Care Worker, Basanti, and a local midwife who works with her are currently working out of the local nursery school next to the Primary School instead of out of a proper clinic because the health post is being rebuilt. As a result, they have been struggling with moving all of the contents of the old Health Post into the nursery school, and with a lack of private rooms in order to maintain patient privacy. Our team has helped them improvise by creating more private rooms using sheets, towels, rope & clothespins.
I’ve attached a photo of Bekkie & Basanti, as well as a photo of the primary school.
Have a wonderful day,
Sarah
Sarah Zelcer
Director of International Projects and Education