Citizens Urged to Prioritize Preventive Care

By Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News|

GEORGETOWN, GUYANA – The Own Your Strength (OYS) Organisation has officially rolled out an expansive, six-day medical and educational outreach initiative across Guyana. Running from May 19 through May 24, 2026, the humanitarian mission aims to deliver accessible self-wellness care and critical diagnostic services to vulnerable and underserved communities nationwide.

Founded by Dr. Dawn Ramsay-Dasent, a Doctor of Nursing Practice, the U.S.-based non-profit is dedicated to empowering communities through compassionate, equitable, and dignified healthcare.

Strengthening Frontline Healthcare Delivery

This year’s multi-tiered campaign is being executed via a collaborative network of local healthcare leaders and non-governmental bodies. OYS has partnered with the Guyana Nurses Association, Stride592, the Guyana Kidney Foundation, and the Guyana Diabetic Foundation to bolster frontline clinical support and expand public health education.

In an exclusive interview with Nightly News, Dr. Ramsay-Dasent emphasized that the outreach is specifically designed to tackle high national chronic disease statistics while breaking down long-standing public taboos regarding specialized clinical screenings.

Debunking Myths Around Prostate and Pediatric Care

A major medical focal point of the six-day initiative is the early detection of prostate cancer among Guyanese men. Dr. Ramsay-Dasent addressed common medical anxieties that frequently delay critical diagnoses.

“We know that there is a high statistic with men with prostate cancer because there’s this preconception that once you have to get a Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) testing, it has to be something that’s invasive—and it’s not,” Dr. Ramsay-Dasent explained. “It can be just as simple as a blood sample being drawn for a PSA test.”

In addition to adult oncology screenings, the 2026 deployment introduces specialized pediatric services. A certified speech pathologist will be stationed on-site throughout the week to evaluate early childhood development milestones.

“If we have a family member that’s concerned about a child who has a speech impairment, they can come out,” the founder urged. “We have a speech pathologist and we’re going to have someone listening and doing hearing testing.”

A Week-Long Institutional and Grassroots Agenda

OYS Vice President, Koreen Jervis, outlined the structured itinerary for the deployment. The group began the week by executing formal strategy sessions with regional healthcare administrators, followed by direct clinical visitations to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and the New Amsterdam Hospital. The medical teams are also extending mobile care units to localized senior homes and orphanages.

Jervis strongly challenged the cultural trend where citizens only visit a clinic when experiencing severe physical pain, emphasizing that early detection is the ultimate defense against terminal conditions.

“We want you to own your strength. We want you to be bold to ask the questions,” Jervis reasoned. “We want you to be resilient because no matter what, it’s not a death sentence when you’re told ‘I have cancer.’ It’s not. But it can be if you wait too late.”

Key Community Dates and Locations

The organization is inviting all citizens to actively participate in the remaining public health fixtures:

• Friday, May 22 (Community Health Screening): Headquartering at the Bethel Congregational Church in Beterverwagting. Residents will receive completely free screenings for blood pressure, blood glucose levels, body mass index (BMI), vision, hearing, and mental health counsel.
• Saturday, May 23 (Health and Wellness Fair & Walk): Convening at the Linden Bus Park. The day will initiate with a community 5K and 2K awareness walk and run engineered to raise visibility for breast, prostate, and pancreatic cancers, alongside dedicated booths for yoga, nutritional education, and mental health healing.