Residents of Port Mourant and surrounding communities on the Corentyne Coast will now benefit directly from the services at the newly commissioned Port Mourant Chest Clinic.
The Clinic is the 20th tuberculosis (TB) testing site in the country and its commissioning coincides with World TB Day, which is observed every year on March 24. This year’s observance was themed, ‘The Clock is Ticking.’
Advisor to the Minister of Health, Dr Bheri Ramsaran says the theme is fitting as more focus needs to be placed on eradicating the disease. In his keynote address, he charged the members of the National Tuberculosis Programme to ensure the country’s progress increases.
“We make gains and sometimes we keep slipping back. As soon as something happens and we’re on our way to recovery, we slip back. I am certain that your team is not going to allow us to become complacent, especially when you see you’re fighting many battles.
TB is there and here comes the virus and we have to adjust to it. We must not lose sight of that because the virus is hitting everything down,” he said.
Meanwhile, Manager of the National TB Programme (NTP), Dr. Jeetendra Mohanlall said the clinic was established over several years. The first TB testing site in the Region was established in new Amsterdam and the other in Skeldon on the Corentyne Coast.
Dr. Mohanlall noted that the location of the Clinic is strategic as it falls at a midway point between the other two locations. This, he said, would ease the burden of accessing TB services.
Meanwhile, Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Narine Singh said the establishment of the Clinic is in keeping with the Government’s commitment to decentralise services across the country.
“This is one of the policies of the Ministry that we want to decentralise services, not only the TB programme but all other services. It’s a policy that is there so the opening of this clinic this morning represents that policy. It’s a manifestation of that policy to decentralise programmes, the TB programme, HIV programme,” he said.
Tuberculosis is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. While it usually attacks the lungs, it can affect any part of the body such as the kidney, spine, and brain. Some of the symptoms include cough, chest pains, fever and coughing blood.
Government, through the Health Ministry remains committed to doing its part to ending TB by 2030. This falls under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals – Goal Three – Health.
