Dr. Hollina Alfred’s story: healthcare is a human right

Dr. Hollina Alfred is Founder and Family Doctor at HolliCare Medical Services in Georgetown, Guyana. Her clinic supports the health and wellbeing of her community and also has a charity arm, which supports local people with food and educational necessities. Here, she shares how Road to Growth supported her business journey.

“I am a family doctor. The focus of my specialty is general health care from newborns to geriatric patients. I evaluate patients and offer acute and chronic care through screening, lifestyle modification and medications. As a family doctor, I ensure patients have a holistic consultation which focuses on both physical and mental health. 

I founded HolliCare Medical Services in 2019, which stemmed from a need I observed in my community, the need for adequate health care.  Some of the services we offer are: outpatient clinic, chronic disease clinic, job clearance, minor surgical procedures, ancillary services like electrocardiogram, urine chemistry, cholesterol testing, and even home visits, to make healthcare more accessible for everyone.   

My business also has a charity arm. We give most of the profits from the clinic back to the community, providing children with the resources they need for school, feeding people who are experiencing homelessness and food insecurity around Georgetown and delivering medical care to indigent persons. 

One of the major challenges I face is balancing my time. I have another job in addition to running the clinic and charity. I am also doing my master’s degree right now. All of that, plus spending time with my family, keeps me very busy. Over the years I have learnt to prioritize my time.   

Participating in Road to Growth was undoubtedly the best decision I made for my business, I was exposed to strategic planning, market analysis, business positioning, marketing strategy, sales forecasting and so much more. I was able to connect with women from various parts of the country and build a network. My interaction with other women entrepreneurs gave me fresh ideas for my business. It was great to see how they were running their businesses and what was working for them, and then try to figure out what worked best for me. 

Road to Growth has given me the tools to be innovative and create my individual trail. Since my completion of the course, I have seen growth in my business income and drastic improvements in both my marketing and sales strategies. I have a comprehensive financial record and I am now able to track my finances.  

My business success meant I could help my family more. I was able to support my younger brother with paying for his tertiary education. I’m the oldest of five siblings and it feels good to know I’m not just providing for myself, but for those I love as well.  

Healthcare is a human right, so supporting as many people as possible to access it is important to me. In the future, I’m hoping to expand into other areas of Guyana and even into the Caribbean. I want to impact more lives with my work. 

We must invest in women-owned businesses and break down gender barriers in entrepreneurship. We need more women to be at the forefront of business. When we succeed, everyone around us benefits.

Women are  adaptable and resilient. Our bodies go through menstrual cycles, pregnancies, and so many other changes that we naturally adapt to. It’s the same in business. No matter what’s thrown at us, we know how to adapt and overcome.”