- RHO Dr Persaud-: No acute shortage of doctors in Region Four

Declaring that his primary responsibility is to enhance and improve health care thus benefiting
all within Region Four, newly appointed Regional Health Officer (RHO), Dr Gavinash Persaud
has declared that the Region doesn’t have an acute shortage of doctors. Dr Persaud was
responding to a question posed by this media house, www.aroundtheregions.com on whether the
region has adequate doctors in effectively executing his plans to enhance and improve health
care in Region Four.
Dr Persaud noted that there are some evident changes that are being made to ensure that the
public can efficiently benefit from the services being offered by Region Four’s Health Services.
He revealed that all health centres in the region have doctors.
Dr. Persaud pointed out that while there are some challenges and difficulties that are being
experienced in executing an efficient health care approach owing to previous decisions made, he
remains committed and dedicated in resolving several issues being encountered by health care
professionals and residents within his region.
“All the health centres that fall under the RDC region four have adequate staffing. We always
ensure that there is a doctor there that is required by the patients for the catchment area. We do
not have an acute shortage of staff, so no way is affected,” the RHO declared.
RHO Persaud stressed that with adequate doctors operating at the region’s 31 health centres he
expressed an invitation for residents to utilize the health centres within their respective
community. This, he said will aid in reducing the enormous workload that is undertaken
primarily at the two regional hospitals in Diamond and at CC Nicholson.
He said that while some health posts do not have doctors it is not of any immediate urgency,
stressing that there is a system that seeks to address those communities when need be.
“There are some health posts on the highway that will see a doctor visiting on scheduled days as
placing a doctor permanently there will be a waste of resources,” he said
The RHO stressed that from the health centres beginning from Cane Grove on the East Coast, to
St. Cuthbert’s Mission, on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway are adequately staff, stressing that the
challenges has always been how those who previously managed the health sector within the
region had utilized the resources that they were in possession of.
Dr Persaud committed to continue ensuring that irrespective of one’s views that there is fair and
a balanced dissemination of opportunities and resources, thus not only advancing the health
sector but ensuring that the public continues to benefit in a meaningful and significant way.
“I intend to improve the health care sector in Region Four and together with the dedicated and
committed staff that I have in this region, I remain confident and determined that it will be
achieved,” the RHO reassured.

In 2018 former Regional Health Officer (RHO) Dr Quincy Jones had reported to the media that
Region Four had secured a first by being the first region to have doctors at every health centres.
At the time Jones was quoted as saying, “We are proud to announce that we are the only region
in Guyana that has been able to acquire a doctor for every health centre within the region.”–