At the end of February, a medical and dental initiative was facilitated by Food For The Poor Guyana in the remote village of Baramita. The project aimed to address the lack of access to healthcare services and promote health and well-being among the community, especially women and girls, by providing access to basic health screening, health education, dental care, and distributing feminine hygiene kits to 200 young girls and women.

Over the course of 3 days, doctors attended to over 220 patients, and the dental team provided care to 180 people. 

The most common medical concerns were skin ailments, colds and fevers, joint aches and pains, respiratory issues, and malnutrition. Dental care was largely given to children, many that had severe dental and periodontal problems. Some children had to have their permanent teeth extracted due to severe tooth decay. Extractions, fillings, cleanings, and examinations were also done.

The school children received a demonstration of good oral hygiene practices by the dental team, where 200 oral hygiene kits were donated.

200 feminine hygiene kits were also given to women of child-bearing age, and in addition, over 400 food hampers with manna rice, canned beans, and canned mixed vegetables were distributed to families together with 200 mosquito nets. 

Community leaders expressed their gratitude with the initiative, stating that this was the largest medical outreach in recent history. Some people walked for more than three hours to seek the services of the outreach program!

Thanks to our kind donors, the project successfully provided basic healthcare services, increased awareness of basic health practices, empowered community members, and promoted health and well-being.