As World AIDS Day 2019 is observed under the theme “Communities Make the
Difference,” a new private clinic and a 16-year old local NGO have teamed up to
make HIV prevention medication more available. Today, Midway Speciality Care
Centre Guyana (MSCCG) and Guyana’s Society Against Sexual Orientation
Discrimination (SASOD Guyana) signed a Memorandum of Understanding at a media
launch of the clinical services to formalize their partnership in preventing
new HIV infections in Guyana.
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 well-known 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
Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Services (PrEP) for all persons who are at risk.
Midway Speciality Care Centres have acquired tremendous expertise in providing
Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) in the United States. After a series of intense
deliberations between MSCCG and SASOD Guyana, have agreed to introduce
PrEP and non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis (nPEP) 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.
MSCCG and SASOD Guyana are providing PrEP and nPEP as part of combination
prevention which includes condoms and lubes, 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 from next week Monday to
Friday from 9 am to 5 pm, starting on December 9. 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 MSCCG@gmail.com. SASOD Guyana can also be
contacted by phone on 225-7283, 623-5155 or by email at sasod@sasod.org.gy. MSCCG’s Medical
Doctor, Dr. Ruth Ramos, and SASOD Guyana’s Managing Director signed the
Memorandum of Understanding in the presence of the media with MSCCG’s Nurse
Lois Barrow witnessing the inking of the private sector – civil society
agreement.
