A 31-year-old general practitioner is offering free online general medical consultation services to the public. Doctor Elber Borrego who came to Guyana from Cuba in July 2019 is currently a Guyanese citizen by naturalization based in Linden. He works with the Ministry of Health and is registered with the medical council of Guyana. He launched the initiative in June of last year and was joined by one of his colleagues Dr. Millaxi Alejandra Rajkumar.
“I believe if you love your work and you have a love for humanity. No money can compensate you for your work. You no longer see it as work but rather a duty to render assistance to those in need,” Dr Borrego said.
Doctor Borrego during an online interview with the Big Smith News Watch said he was inspired to take on this task during the COVID pandemic after he was made aware that there are persons who are not afforded the luxury of a doctor due to financial constraints and remote residences.
He explained that “the service is completely free, you don’t have to pay for anything, during the consultation which is conducted online. I diagnose patients and offer my recommendation as a doctor. If the case is one that needs further medical attention. I do my best to keep the situation under control. Until they can be treated by a certified medical institution.”
This service, he said, allow persons to access medical advice even in emergency cases. While some persons welcome the intervention, the Doctor said there are others who accuse him of being just a hoax. He noted however this won’t hinder his work as he is determined to offer his service to those who are in need.
During the interview, he relayed he consults with approximately thirty patients per day online. He noted at times it can be tiring but it gives him immense pleasure when patients recover from their ailments,
Doctor Borrego used the opportunity of the interview to call on more doctors to join the initiative: “To my fellow doctors, if you feel you can go the extra mile in helping people, you are encouraged to join the initiative. Do this so we can work to build a beautiful country and save lives.” The doctor can be contacted on his Facebook page ‘Doctor Elber Borrego’