592 Health Digest launched to bridge knowledge gaps, highlight pertinent health issues

Guyanese now have greater access to a range of topics from mental wellness to preventative care to Guyana’s most urgent public health issues, following the launch of the inaugural edition of the 592 Health Digest on Friday.

The simple ceremony took place at the Ministry of Health’s Boardroom at Brickdam, Georgetown.

The digest seeks to bridge knowledge gaps, highlight pertinent health issues, and offer practical advice to readers so they can embark on their journey towards a happier and healthier life.  

The objective is to raise awareness of these issues every day and develop a stronger culture of health literacy and activism in Guyana.

Some of the members of the editorial board for the magazine are Dr Moti Ramgopal, Dr Mahendra Carpen, Dr Winsome Peta-Ann Scott, Ashley Anthony, Dr Khalil Nasser, and Dr Ghansham Singh. 

All the board members are adamant that resources with precise health information are essential to empower Guyanese to lead heathy lives.

It is part of this very belief that the 592 Health Digest was founded.

At the launch, Founder and Director of Midway Immunology and Research Centre, Dr Ramgopal noted that the launch of the digest marks a significant milestone for the healthcare community in Guyana and potentially the Caribbean region. 

Dr Ramgopal elaborated, “This magazine will be more than just a publication. It will be a platform for knowledge, collaboration and medium to inspire and empower readers. Over the years, I have seen first-hand at how gaps in health education can affect our health as we have recently experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. This magazine is one of our responses to bridge those gaps.”

Each article, interview and feature were carefully curated for the magazine’s inaugural edition.

Dr Ramgopal noted that the magazine’s content will help to amplify the voices of local experts, highlight the innovative approaches developed in the communities and provide a platform to the challenges that some persons experience.

Each issue will have a combination of scientific precision and real-world relevance, ensuring that readers gain knowledge that they can immediately apply in their lives.

Meanwhile, Head of the Internal Medicine and Cardiology at Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, Dr Carpen is confident that the magazine will evolve and expand beyond its current readership to include more scientific and medically significant works.

“I am confident that it will be something that will last beyond this generation.

We have some in-depth medical pieces that are tailored and written in a way that not just doctors and medical people can understand and appreciate it but anyone will pick it up and read it. It is not written above any regular level,” Dr Carpen said.

Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Narine Singh, representatives from Midway Specialty Care Centre and the ministry were also present at the launch.