Health

Public Health Minister, Dr. George Norton Monday could not rule out sole-sourcing of drugs and medical supplies, although he said the aim is to have open competitive bidding. Responding to questions from Dr. Frank Anthony, a medical doctor, during consideration of the 2016 budget estimates, he said no guarantee could be given that government would not purchase drugs from one ...

Guyana’s gay and lesbian community hopes to soon have a clearer idea whether they could cross-dress freely without fear of being charged, even as they thicken their dossier for constitutional reform. Co-Chairman of the local gay rights organisation, Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD), Joel Simpson said a Registrar has already contacted a number of plaintiffs in a pending appeal ...

Prime Minister of Belize and Chairman of the Conference of the CARICOM Heads of Government Dean Barrow on Wednesday announced a series of actions that CARICOM Member States will take to confront the Zika virus that is affecting the Region. The course of action includes continuous public education, implementation of measures at ports of entry, health facilities, schools, private enterprises ...

The Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) is alarmed at the amount of medical waste, including syringes and needles, that its workers are coming into contact with while maintaining Georgetown’s sewage system “Our sanitation employees are alarmed by the amount of medical waste found in the GWI sewage tanker as well as sewage chambers outside of some hospitals,”  GWI Chief Executive Officer, Dr. ...

The Ministry of Education has embarked on a series of suicide awareness sessions in Georgetown under the theme “Choose Life- Say No to Suicide,” as Guyana continues to reel from a high incidence of persons taking their own lives.   The first such session was held Monday, 15th January, 2016 at the Central High School whose students and teachers listened to ...

[Columbus Dispatch] – Two more cases of the Zika virus have been reported in Ohio, one involving a Licking County man who was in Haiti while another involves a woman that travelled from Guyana. That brings to four the number of cases reported by the Ohio Department of Health in the past week. None was contracted in Ohio. The newest ...

A 16-year-old lad from Eccles on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) has been confirmed as Guyana's second case of the Zika virus. This was confirmed by Minister of Public Health Dr George Norton who said he lad was one of 88 persons tested for the virus recently. He said "the last batch was received on Friday and unfortunately one ...

Shadow Public Health Minister, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran Tuesday criticized government for failing to put sufficient measures in place to tackle the mosquito-borne Zika Virus that scientists believe is responsible for brain deformity in babies in neighbouring Brazil. “Nothing for vector control, that is a sick situation,” quipped Ramsaran, a former Health Minister, during his contribution to the 2016 Budget Debate. ...

Health Minister, Dr. George Norton says he is “disappointed” that the newly-appointed Chairman of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), Dr. Noel Blackman has been arrested and charged with illegally issuing prescriptions for a powerful painkiller in New York. Norton said already steps are being taken to replace Blackman as Chairman of the GPHC’s Board.  Sources said Dr. Max Hanoman, ...

As Guyanese authorities seek to push back the Zika Virus, which has so far reportedly infected one Guyanese here, a massive offensive has been launched against mosquitoes in Georgetown and parts of East Coast and East Bank Demerara. The Ministry of Public Health also urged residents to stop harbouring breeding grounds for mosquitoes and ensure that all foods, domestic animals, ...