In order to improve its delivery of diabetic retinopathy care to the public, health staffers are being exposed to some much needed training. Training in this regard will be conducted through the Guyana Diabetic Retinopathy Programme [GDRP].
The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation [GPHC], Department of Ophthalmology is the coordinating stakeholder in execution of the GDRP which is in fact a part of the Ministry of Public Health’s Diabetes Care Project.
As part of this project, human resource development is a key element in the quest to raise awareness about diabetic retinopathy among health care professionals such as general practitioners and nurses.
In light of this, GDRP in collaboration with GPHC will be hosting its second “One-Day Workshop on Diabetic Retinopathy” for Health Care Professionals for Region Four [the East Coast Demerara area] at Project Dawn. It will be held on Sunday from 9:00am to 3:00pm and will target general practitioners and nurses with the objective of increasing awareness of diabetic complications of the eye known as Diabetic Retinopathy.
The first workshop held earlier this year was successfully conducted in March at the Suddie Regional Hospital, Essequibo in Region Two.
The training curriculum/agenda of the workshop was developed by the Department of Ophthalmology and the training team of seven comprised of personnel from various levels at GPHC including: two ophthalmologists, a government medical officer, an optometrist, a Diabetes Educator and Nutrition Counsellor, a clerk and a Nursing Assistant. A total of 27 participants were trained (15 Nurses and 12 General Medical Practitioners).