As mentioned in our May-June President’s Update, Giving Health To Kids (GHTK)has received a 3-year grant from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (Royal College) to enable GHTK to implement a Neonatal Network in Guyana. The grant is $30,000 per year for 3-years with GHTK providing matching funds for the same period.
The Royal College has provided this support under their International Development, Aid and Collaboration (IDAC) funding program and it will facilitate travel of local and foreign medical teams to teach neonatal care at each of the country’s regional hospitals, as well as fund the launch of Guyana’s telehealth program.
The vision is similar to what is in place in Toronto where physicians from any hospital can call the Hospital for Sick Children for advice on complex cases. The telehealth program will particularly support physicians in remote areas of Guyana who are dealing with very sick babies.
During the 12-years that GHTK has been working with the Ministry of Health and hospitals in Guyana, infant mortality has dropped on average by more than a third across Guyana: from 30 to 19 deaths per thousand births.
In Georgetown, infant mortality has dropped to 6 per 1,000 and the challenge is to expand the program’s urban success towards the seven regional hospitals scattered across Guyana. Mortality rates in what is known as Guyana’s hinterland (a forested area outside the densely populated coastal plain) still hover at 28 per 1,000 births.
Creating sustainable outcomes: GHTK’s aim, working in partnership with those on the ground in Guyana, is to lower infant mortality by 35% in each of Guyana’s regional hospitals in the next three years. As part of this endeavor, a sustainable postgraduate training program will be established where local physician educators can train the next generation of paediatricians.
Work has begun: Dr. Anna Florendo-Chin has been appointed the Director/Coordinator of the Network and Dr. Florendo-Chin has now established the office and staff to support her in moving the program forward.
We welcome O’statia Simon who has joined the GHTK Team as Administrative Assistant and who will
provide much needed support as implementation moves forward.
Along with Nurse S. Russell and Nurse Smith, Dr. Florendo-Chin organized two Crash Courses for nurses in Neonatal Care – one at Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation for 5 nurses, and a second one at Bartica Hospital for Doctors and Nurses in Neonatal Basics including resuscitation and stabilization. A total of 3 doctors and 6 nurses were trained.
Dr. Leif Nelin, a long-time member of the Board of Directors of GHTK along with Dr. Nar Singh,
President of GHTK is overseeing the work to ensure all elements of the implementation of the
Network proceeds and deadlines and required processes are met.
Dr. Nelin is a Neonatologist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Ohio, and he has been an integral
partner with Dr. Singh in developing many of the educational programs established since GHTK
began working in Guyana.
GHTK is grateful for the tangible financial support provided by the Royal College to enable the Neonatal Network to be established over the next 3-years. It has been a major goal of GHTK for many years, and with the funding provided by the Royal College it will enable this much needed resource to become a reality. GHTK’s vision is “every child deserves a tomorrow” – having the Network in place will help realize this vision.
(“This work was carried out with the aid of a grant from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, through its International Development, Aid and Collaboration funding program facilitated by Royal College International”)
Bachelors In Neonatal Nursing Class
We are so pleased to let you know that the first year of the Bachelors in Neonatal Nursing at the University of Guyana has been completed. You may recall that Board Member, Dr. Cait Yeager worked closely with Dr. Emanuel Cummings, Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences at the University to establish the Bachelors program and it began in 2021 (delayed, like so many things because of the Pandemic).
Much of Dr. Yeager’s work had to be conducted virtually because of the Pandemic, but she was able to travel to Guyana at the end of August/early September to meet in person with the students. I think we can all agree that seeing one another in person is so much better than virtually – and this is reflected in how pleased the nurses were to meet Dr. Yaeger in person and who have now started the second year of the program.
Dr. Yeager has her Ph.D. in Nursing Education and works full-time as an Instructor at The Breen School of Nursing at Ursuline College in Pepper Pike, Ohio. Dr. Yeager has been a member of the Board of GHTK since 2012, and along with Dr. Singh and Dr. Nelin has been an integral part of establishing the Educational Programs for Nurses in Guyana. She has been to Guyana many times and also worked with Mount St. John’s Medical Centre in Antigua & Barbuda to implement the Certificate Program in Neonatal Nursing in 2021 with 11 graduates in the first year.
In Closing
As you can see from this summary, our work in Guyana continues. With the incredible support of our donors and those who believe in the work we do; we have achieved many things – but there remains much to be done. We are so proud of our partnership with the Royal College in enabling us to implement the Neonatal Network. Our colleagues in Guyana are looking forward to having it operational and we are off to a good start. We will bring you regular updates as work proceeds.
Thank you for your time in reading this summary, for your belief and support of the work of GHTK and for helping us and those on the ground in Guyana continue to achieve our vision of “every child deserves a tomorrow.”
We will talk with you soon about our fundraising efforts but in the meantime, we would encourage and appreciate your donation to enable GHTK to match the grant provided by the Royal College.
Just click on the link below and you will be directed to the website – you can make your donation on-line and will receive an immediate tax receipt.
