GPHC doctor to receive prestigious OAS lea
A doctor attached to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation has been tapped by the Organization of American States (OAS) to receive an award in recognition of women in leadership in the
Americas.
The Ministry of Health (MoH) in a release yesterday informed that it had received notification from the OAS that Dr Tracey Bovell has been selected to receive the prestigious award for Good Practices in Women’s Leadership which honours women leaders in the whole of the Americas. She will receive her award during the upcoming OAS IX Summit of the
Americas on June 9, 2022, in Los Angeles, California in the presence of almost every Head of State from the Americas.
Dr Bovell was nominated for the award by Minister of Health,
Dr Frank Anthony, and was on of several nominees. She is consultant in Emergency Medicine at the GPHC and i currently the doctor-in-charg and the lead-doctor in th Infectious Disease Hospital a Liliendaal, a part of the George town Hospital Corporation. Th Ministry of Health nominated D Bovell and a group of distin guished citizens from around th Americas selected Dr Bovell a one of the awardees at th upcoming OAS Summit. She wil receive the award for Good Practices in Women’s Leadership under the category of Women’ Leadership in the Response to the COVID-19 Crisis.
According to the release, D Bovell has been in charge and provided leadership for the oper ationalisation and the functioning of the Infectious Diseas Hospital from the very beginning in September 2020, and her lead ership in the fight agains COVID-19 started even befor that. She was part of the clinica team that crafted the COVID-19 response from the time COVID 19 became a pandemic.
Guyana’s first case of COVID 19 was confirmed and the firs COVID-19 mortality was on March 11, 2020.
Dr Bovell was appointed in March 2020 (at the beginning o the pandemic) as the Chairperson for the GPHC COVID-19 Taskforce. She led a team of spe cialists from various department of the hospital to craft the first se of protocols and guidelines fo COVID-19, including the proto cols for diagnosis, treatment and occupational health and safety Also, as part of her responsibili ties, Dr Bovell led sensitisation sessions with health car providers and other staff in th health sector and other sectors in all ten geographic regions o Guyana.
“In the early days when COVID-19 caused intense illnes and had a high mortality rate, D Bovell fearlessly became the fac of the treatment programme. Yet she found time to communicat with family and friends of thos who were critically-ill and who could not benefit from familie being around them. In the face o high mortality among critically ill COVID-19 patients, Dr Bovel remained resilient, determined and compassionate in her ques to ensure that patients wer receiving quality care,” th release stated.
The Minister, the Ministry o Health, and the GPHC hav acknowledged that Dr Bovel could not have succeeded alone The support and equal dedication and commitment from many doc tors, nurses, technologists, and other allied healthcare providers
have been recognised as having played a significant role in Guyana being able to provide quality and lifesaving treatment to thousands of Guyanese who survived the vicious and deadly illnesses that COVID-19 caused.
“In recognising the contributions and the leadership of Tracey Bovell, we also recognize the meritorious service from hundreds of healthcare providers. Dr Bovell’s recognition is recognition for all of them”, the MoH observed.
“Dr Bovell’s leadership
in the COVID-19 response has made an indelible mark in the story of public health in Guyana. Dr. Bovell is a Woman of Worth in our country. The Minister of Health, the Ministry and the GPHC are proud that the OAS has recognized one of our own among women leaders in the COVID-19 response. For her dedication and commitment, Guyana is highly indebted to this young doctor. We are grateful that the OAS has assisted us in recognising her work,” the release added.