We are pleased to introduce and welcome two new members to the GHTK Board of Directors. Dr. Arnelle Sparman-Shelto is a Pediatrician at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation and the Local Director of the Pediatric Residency Program from 2015 to present. She also holds the title of Associate Professor of Pediatric Medicine at the University of Guyana School of Medicine.
Dr. Sparman-Shelto graduated from the University of Guyana School of Medicine with a Bachelor of Science in Medicine and Surgery. She was among the first cohort of doctors accepted into the Pediatric Residency Program in Guyana. Post Residency, she immediately assumed key leadership roles within the department.
As a Pediatric echo sonographer, Dr. Sparman is also heavily involved in the diagnosis and management of children with heart disease pre and post operatively.
She is a true patriot who is committed to ensuring that each child in Guyana has access to a qualified pediatrician regardless of his or her geographic location. “Dr. Sparman has been a champion for pediatric education in Guyana and with her kind, caring and infectious smile she is adored by everyone, me included.”
Dr. Arnelle Sparman-Shelto
Dr. Winsome Scott is a Consultant Pediatrician/Neonatologist at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation in Guyana. From the inception of her medical career, her passion has been to work with children. After completing her undergraduate degree (MMBS) at the University of Guyana (UG) School of Medicine in 2007, her desire to work with children was further strengthened during her medical internship at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Barbados, where she volunteered to work extra hours in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
Dr. Scott returned to Guyana in 2009 and worked for 3-years in private practice before pursuing further training in the field of Pediatrics. She is a proud graduate of the Master of Medicine in Pediatrics program, a program that was the initiative of GHTK in collaboration with Guyana’s Ministry of Health and GPHC.
In 2022, Dr. Scott completed a 3-year Fellowship in Neonatology – Perinatal Medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton and is currently pursuing the Master of Health Management Program at
the same university.
Dr. Scott’s main goal is to elevate Pediatric Health in Guyana through education, quality improvement initiatives and continued collaboration with committed stakeholders like GHTK. “From her junior days, Dr. Scott has been an unparalleled advocate for her babies and has deliberately advanced her education to the highest level to fulfill her life’s work”
Dr. Winsome Scott
Dr. Narenda Singh, President of GHTK, noted that he is delighted that Dr. Sparman-Shelto and Dr. Scott accepted the invitation to join the Board of GHTK, and they along with their colleagues
Dr. Anna Florendo-Chin and Nurse Dewon Richmond (who we Introduced you to in our May-June Update) will bring invaluable insight to the work being done to improve neonatal care in Guyana.
Looking to the Future
As you can see from our Updates this year many things are moving forward in Guyana and the role of GHTK continues to evolve. We are very proud that our Memorandum with York University was signed and that the Masters Certificate in Hospital Leadership was initiated in November. Those participating in Guyana are excited to be part of this major educational development – feedback after one month has been extremely positive.
The work to implement the Neonatal Network continues and we will have more to report in coming Updates.
A major development has been the responsibility that GHTK will have to tender and procure equipment for the 6 neonatal units in Guyana over the coming 3 years. As we reported previously this is a three-year program and is funded by the Guyanese Ministry of Health. Given GHTK’s expertise in this area, the Ministry has asked GHTK to take the lead and work in collaboration with those on the ground in Guyana to obtain this equipment. We will have more details on this endeavor as it moves forward.
Thank You for your ongoing support
We recognize that the past 3 years have not been easy for people – the global pandemic has had a massive affect on peoples’ lives everywhere. At GHTK we have done our best to stay focused on helping those in need in Guyana, and we could not have done this without the support of our Corporate Sponsors and Donors. We will continue to keep you informed as our programs move forward.
We do still need your financial support to enable us to raise funds for programs in Guyana – in particular, right now for the Neonatal Network (one-number to call). If you are looking for a gift to give this year – please think of us. Just click on the link https://www.ghtk.ca/index.php/contact and you can make your donation directly on-line and will receive an immediate tax receipt. An acknowledgement of your gift will be sent to the person or persons you wish to honour.
