Soesdyke Health Centre launches adolescent clinics
Dr Fazeeda Singh at the Soesdyke Health Centre with a young mother
Dr Fazeeda Singh at the Soesdyke Health Centre with a young mother

PREGNANT and adolescent mothers can now access enhanced health care at the Soesdyke Health Centre through establishment of the adolescent and antenatal clinic day.
This is a result of the Regional Health Department, Region Four, taking a multi-sectoral approach, thus collaborating with the Ministry of Public Health Adolescent Unit and the Ministry of Education.

The adolescent clinic will see pregnant women now being able to access similar health care and services, that previously required them going to the Grove Heath Centre.
Further, two additional initiatives were launched, with the establishment of the Adolescent and Wellness Clinic, which provides an opportunity for adolescents, including boys and both in- school and out-of-school children being able to access this and the Community Parenting and Support Group, which provides an opportunity for persons accessing this clinic to walk along with someone who can lend moral and other support to them.
Giving an insight into the initiatives, Dr Fazeeda Singh at the Soesdyke Health Centre disclosed that the clinic is fully equipped and ready to offer assistance to persons accessing them.

She urged the young mothers to make maximum use of the benefits and opportunities being made available. Dr Singh reiterated that the clinics are open to anyone, irrespective of their location.

Appealing passionately to pregnant adolescents, Dr Singh urged them to encourage other adolescent girls who may be in a similar situation to come forward and access the many services which are being made available to them.
Dr Singh reminded those that have not joined the clinic to do so immediately. “Please encourage them to join the clinic even if they are older than 19, as they would be able to access the care of this health centre,” Dr Singh stated.
Representing the Regional Health Officer, Dr Quincy Jones, was Dr Mark Vyphius who told the young women that each of the clinics has a mental health officer based there. This, he said, is to address mental health issues.
He noted that in further enhancing the services being offered, these persons can access the help of a social worker too.

BE OPEN
“Please when you guys come to clinic just feel free to say whatever problem is affecting you, because we are aware that some of you have a lot of problems and we are here to see in what way we can help. However, we want you to feel comfortable to tell us what is bothering you,” Dr Vyphius said.

He added that persons visiting should be open and speak, as this would help the staff at the health centre in determining to where the person should be referred.
Nurse Patricia Thomas from the Grove Health Centre told the mothers that the initiative was first birthed at her health centre some three years ago. She expressed excitement over the growth of the initiative, which she said has the ability to address a number of issues faced by the adolescent mothers.

“I have seen that before the establishment of this initiative, many young teen mothers didn’t know where to go, how to access critical information that they needed, as there was no one to tell them where and what to do, so I am happy that you mothers despite being teenagers can access help and assistance,” Nurse Thomas said.
It was reported that persons attending the clinic will learn about effectively breastfeeding their babies, handling stress and proper care of the child.

The adolescent health services officer at the Ministry of Public Health, Dr Travis Freeman, said that his ministry is providing the technical support, noting that it is a community initiative while lauding the Region Four health department.
He reminded all that it is a community initiative and that all should play their part in ensuring that it grows successfully. Dr Freeman revealed that the adolescent population has been ignored for a very long time, thus it is now an ‘at-risk’ population.

INITIATIVES BEING CONCEPTUALISED
Dr Freeman stressed that because of adolescents being at risk, a number of initiatives are being conceptualised to address the many issues facing them.
“For too long adolescents have been the forgotten population, thus today we are seeing that they are the ones exhibiting more ‘at risk’ behaviours. While adolescent is defined as being up to 19 years old, for the programme’s purpose and the links to youth, we have extended it to 24 years old.”

Meanwhile, Jeannel Sweatman of the Ministry of Education said her ministry has an established relationship with the Ministry of Public Health.
She however noted that they have boosted that partnership with the establishment of a care package. The care package, she said, is given to teenage mothers at all the adolescent clinics across Guyana.
“Let me say that this care package is not to encourage teenagers to get pregnant early, but we realise that as young people they have a need. This is to help you to prepare the baby bag in preparation for the delivery of your child; so the bag contains things for yourself and baby,” Sweatman said.

She disclosed that a significant amount of pampers and wipes are given along with towel, baby bottles, baby clothing among other items.
She said this forms part of her ministry’s seeking to provide support to the mothers with a view to reintegrating them into the education system after delivery of the baby.

The Soesdyke Health Centre is the 39th centre to launch the adolescent clinic, with more than half of them being situated within Region Four. The Adolescent Day will be held every Monday from 13:00hrs at the Soesdyke Health Centre. Already, there are 15 mothers who are part of the clinic.

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