A new private clinic and a 16-year old local Non-governmental Organisation (NGO) have teamed up to make HIV prevention medication more available. This comes on the heels of a recent disclosure that some 8,200 persons are infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in Guyana.
Midway Speciality Care Centre Guyana (MSCCG) and Guyana’s Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD Guyana) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at a media launch of the clinical services to formalize their partnership in preventing new HIV infections in Guyana.
MSCCG and SASOD Guyana are providing Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis (nPEP) as part of combination prevention which includes condoms and lubes, Sexual Transmitted Infection (STI) screening and management, HIV testing and counselling, risk reduction management and harm reduction.
The partners are also providing comprehensive support, consisting of adherence counselling, mental and emotional support, and sexual and reproductive health services.
These services will be available to the public from next week Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm. SASOD Guyana’s Saturday clinic will commence on January 4, 2020. To make an appointment, interested persons can contact MSCCG by phone on 502-1951 or by email at [email protected]. SASOD Guyana can also be contacted by phone on 225-7283, 623-5155 or by email at [email protected].
Midway Speciality Care Centre Guyana (MSCCG) is a not-for-profit clinic that is established to provide non-communicable and infectious disease care. Dr Moti Ramgopal MD, FACP, FIDSA, founded Midway Speciality Care Centre, which treats 6,000 patients in eight clinics in the United States of America. These clinics have provided a wide range of speciality and primary care services for patients. SASOD Guyana is a human rights organization that has been at the forefront of the HIV response in Guyana.
SASOD Guyana has been a long-time advocate for the introduction of PrEP for all persons who are at risk. Midway Speciality Care Centres have acquired tremendous expertise in providing PrEP in the United States. After a series of intense deliberations between MSCCG and SASOD Guyana, both entities agreed to the services at a weekday, full-service clinic located at 100 Carmichael Street (opposite Woodlands Hospital) and a satellite community clinic every Saturday at the SASOD Guyana office at 203 Duncan Street in Lamaha Gardens.
The two agencies are convinced that with the introduction of these services that it would prevent those that are “substantial risk” from acquiring the HIV infection.
Public Health Minister, Volda Lawrence in September of year, revealed that a total of 8200 persons are infected while adding that of this total, only 93 per cent know their status. It was revealed also, that 73% of infected persons are presently on treatment, while 81% have so far achieved viral suppression so they can no longer transmit the infection to their partners.
