Health Minister Peggy Vidot’s visit to institutions offering public health services |27 November 2020

Challenges not major, can be attended to relatively quickly, says Minister Vidot

Challenges within community health centres and healthcare facilities located in the northern and central regions of Mahe are “not major issues, and can be attended to relatively quickly”, said Minister for Health Peggy Vidot yesterday, as she set off on a series of visits to institutions offering public health services.

Minister Vidot, accompanied special advisor to the Minister Dr Loren Reginald, chief executive of Health Care Agency (HCA) Danny Louange, director of community health services Nicholas Shamlaye, and principal nursing officer Anselmine Cafrine, started off at the Beau Vallon health centre, followed by Glacis clinic, the North East Point Rehabilitation Centre, English River health centre, Youth health centre and Les Mamelles and Mont Fleuri facilities, before moving on to facilities in the west.

“The facilities themselves, I think whilst there is always room for improvement, but at least they can provide certain level of care that is required in healthcare facilities. We’ve noted the different issues staff have raised and some of these issues are not major, issues which can be attended to relatively early, but what has pleased me is really the commitment that staff has demonstrated in doing their job, and the enthusiasm that they have to provide the care needed within these different health facilities,” said Minister Vidot.

“And obviously, they all want to be doing their best, and therefore there is always demand for different facilities, and these will be looked at, will be assessed, and as much as possible, we will try to improve the working environment and provide them with the equipment which they need to provide better care,” she said upon concluding the visit to the Les Mamelles health centre.

Among the most pressing concerns expressed to the minister during her interactions with health professionals and employees, are lack of human resource, space constraints within facilities and limited resources to better serve the public.

“One problem which was continually raised relates to human resources or otherwise when the manpower should be here. Certain places have told us that they want doctors more often than three times per week, there are places that need more human resource for visits like home visits, but it’s not a major problem and it is a problem that we can look into to solve,” Minister Vidot added.

Acknowledging that it may take a while yet before some challenges are addressed, Minister Vidot is equally enthusiastic that some concerns can be rectified within a brief timeframe, such as making specialists more accessible at community level, reviewing operating hours of certain health facilities, improving on the number of facilities and improving the services.

A major talking point during the visits yesterday were on diabetes, chronic diseases and neo-natal complications and mortality, major focal points for the ministry in the upcoming timeframe. Dr Annia Rousseau who serves the Glacis clinic also conveyed to the delegation the need to intensify educational and sensitisation programmes based on prevention.

According to Dr Reginald, four patients from the Glacis district started undergoing dialysis treatments since the beginning of the month, an alarming figure considering the population of the district is around 3,600.

Nurse manager at the Beau Vallon facility Lizzie Estico, communicated her concerns about the significant proportion of diabetic patients who are not compliant with treatment programmes and advice. Over recent years, a register of diabetic patients is being kept, and presently there are 585 diabetic patients in the northern region of Mahe, she said, just over 200 of whom are following treatment properly.

The facility offers dental and oral health, public health, laboratory, physiotherapy and maternal and child health services.

Following visits to the Greater Victoria health facilities, Minister Vidot and the delegation proceeded to Port Glaud, Béolière, Anse Boileau and La Misère health centres.

She resumes with scheduled visits today at Takamaka, Les Cannelles, Baie Lazare, Anse Royale and Anse Aux Pins health centres.

The accompanying photos show Minister Vidot and her delegation touring the health facilities in North Mahe.

Laura Pillay

Photos: Jude Morel