Port Mourant, Berbice – Following a productive meeting in Suriname with President Bharrat Jagdeo, the Surinamese Head of State accompanied by a delegation of his Cabinet ministers travelled across the Corentyne River via the Guyana Suriname Ferry service for a tour of Berbice which included a visit to the eye care centre.
During the visit to the Port Mourant centre, President Bouterse and team were welcomed by Minister within the Ministry of Health Dr Bheri Ramsaran who introduced them to the team of Cuban medical professionals and support and other staff of the facility manning the facility.
The hospital a symbol of the Guyana/Cuba partnership was commissioned in July last year offering an entire range of services free of cost to Guyanese and individuals from neighbouring countries, Suriname included.
After hearing about the genesis and development of Guyana’s eye care programme, President Bouterse told members of the press that although there is an ophthalmology eye care programme in Suriname through partnership with the Cuban government, it is not of the magnitude and scope as Guyana’s.
He was at the time speaking at a joint mini-press conference with President Jagdeo at Little Rock suites, in New Amsterdam.
“This cooperation in the field of health care, we should try to expand… certainly if we look at the way you treat people, for free, the efficiency and speed with which you treat people… we can learn a lot from Guyana,” President Bouterse said.
