| A number of health policies, though completed, are still awaiting approval. A number of these policies are reportedly stuck between the offices of respective health directors and Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr Shamdeo Persaud.Dr William Adu-Krow, PAHO Resident RepresentativeThis state of affairs was earlier this week highlighted by Resident Representative of the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO),Jerseys NFL Cheap, Dr William Adu-Krow,Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping, during a meeting convened at the PAHO Brickdam,Cheap NFL Jerseys, Georgetown headquarters.The meeting was designed to enlighten Ministers of Public Health, Dr George Norton and Dr Karen Cummings,China Jerseys Cheap, and Permanent Secretary (PS) (ag), Mr Trevor Thomas, about the partnership history between PAHO and the Health Ministry.According to Dr Adu-Krow, when he assumed the role of Resident Representative for the Guyana PAHO office 18 months ago “I was told that there were 12 policies still pending, some mainly with the CMO, probably with good intention, who wants to review almost everything,Cheap Jerseys From China, then it gets lost for a long time. So it would be appreciated if, PS, you can take a look at that.”While not specifying what policies are lagging behind, Dr Adu-Krow did acknowledge that although actions have suggested that the process has been improving “we have had a lot of policies that have been finished but not yet approved.”PAHO has over the years given support to the public health sector to help formulate policies that the Ministry had recognised as needful for its delivery of health care. This forthcoming support from PAHO usually sees the contracting of a Consultant to aid the process. But according to the PAHO Representative, “there is very little point in spending money to have a consultant come and organise so that you have a policy drawn and then we get nowhere because it’s stuck at someone’s desk.”As such, Dr Adu-Krow appealed for efforts to be made to look into the situation of stalled policies with a view of having the process moved forward.“When a document like that is done by both PAHO and our national counterparts, and whatever decision that is taken, once we know of it, either it’s approved or it’s not…If it is not approved because we want this, this and this to be considered, then we can look at it again together, but if it is approved lets operationalise it. Let’s move on so that it can be useful to the Government,nfl jerseys china,” stressed Dr Adu-Krow.Also at the recent meeting, another issue of concern raised by the PAHO Resident Representative was the need for health economists. He divulged that persons within the Ministry under the previous Government had disclosed that between three and five young people who are qualified economists are within the Ministry’s employ. But according to Dr Adu-Krow, their qualifications might not have been sufficient for the health sector.“I keep maintaining that having a Bachelor’s training in Economics does not make you a health economist and it doesn’t make you someone who can do effective health costing.”He however noted that, PAHO has the capacity to help address this shortcoming.“I want to put it out there that within PAHO we have the ability to offer fellowships and it is up to you (health officials) to give us guidance where you want these fellowships to be, and I think I would say that health economics is probably one, in addition to public health, which we can talk about later.”He also emphasised the importance for Regional Public Health Officers to be among those that could benefit from fellowships in the area of public health and management.Among those who could be targets for management training, too, are the heads of various units at the central level, added Dr Adu-Krow.“We all in our own areas as public health practitioners, as doctors also… if you are going to take leadership positions you also would need some management training…So it is something that I would put out there for your thoughts and decision,” the PAHO Representative told the senior Health officials. |
