With expert training from an external examiner, 16 workers attached to the Vector Control Services Unit of the Ministry of Health were recently the participants of an intense one-week training exercise.The training comes as part of efforts to boost the efficiency of the workers whose collective effort is to control the presence of vectors throughout the country.Participants of the Vector Control training exercise along with other officials.Although staffers are exposed each year to refresher courses intended to improve their operations, Director of Vector Control Services,Jesus Molina Mexico Jersey, Dr. Reyaud Rahman, said that it was more than six years ago that an external examiner had offered expert training to the Unit.In 2003 and 2006, the external examiner, who hails from the Netherlands,Zay Jones Youth Jersey, had facilitated training sessions here which are endorsed by the Pan American Health Organisation/ World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO).Although the Netherlands is not known to have vector challenges,Obi Melifonwu Jersey, Dr. Rahman disclosed that lessons were learnt through experiences from various countries where such cases are endemic.And it is Dr. Rahman’s belief that “this will benefit us greatly in the way we diagnose so that we not only do it correctly but in a way that is in keeping with the standards of the World Health Organisation.”The examiner, according to Dr. Rahman, during the training sessions, which spanned a week from July 8, related,Rob Holding Arsenal Jersey UK, among other things, new methods to undertake procedures in malaria microscopy.And according to the Vector Control Services Director,Brad Guzan Jersey, the end of the sessions saw the facilitator lauding the quality of the malaria workers whom she referred to as having “hardworking attitudes.”The participants came from all Regions of Guyana and included supervisors and other senior vector control services officials who are often tasked with travelling to endemic regions of the country to undertake active malaria work.Among those in attendance was Operations Inspector, Shane English, who has been a part of Vector Control Services for an entire decade.“We learnt a lot in terms of counting whereby it includes the white blood cells in the count along with the parasites,Evan Fournier Magic Jersey,” he said.In Guyana, testing for malaria entails only the counting of parasites but with the information provided through the recent sessions it is expected that the local workers will incorporate the counting of the white cells as well.Also benefiting from the recent training was Quality Control Technician, Clairmonte Stewart, who has been in the system for the past 11 years. He plans to make good use of the techniques he learnt during the training exercise.