George Washington University medical team conducts several surgeries

Georgetown : A week of events conducted between the Ministry of Health and Doctors International of the George Washington University/Hospital saw surgeries conducted whilst persons were screened for future treatment.

Health Minister Dr. Bheri Ramsaran, said the team over the past few months extended the hand of friendship to the Ministry of Health with the particular aim of conveying skills to Guyana which are not readily available here, with the main purpose of bringing relief to Guyanese patients. The team consisted of 21 persons and included doctors and nurses of various profiles, along with administrators and other personnel. 

President Donald Ramotar meet with the team’s members and commended them for their efforts to assist Guyanese.

The team screening patients for future treatment would be visiting on a regular basis and would be back next year. Medical educational lectures which are required for medical doctors to attend were also conducted by doctors and nurses from the team.

Dr. Ramsaran welcomed the fact that the team’s visit was as a result of a Guyanese from the Diaspora, Raj Singh of Toronto, working to make it happen. He expressed the hope that other Guyanese in the Diaspora would observe that the health sector is attracting foreign support and would seek to get involved.

Six surgeries conducted at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) were for prostatectomy for benign prostatic hyperplasia, eight for renal stones, two for transurethral resection for bladder tumours, and one each for undescended testes, vesicovaginal fistula and nephrectomy for renal tumour.

Nineteen urological cases were undertaken at the GPHC while 10 general surgeries and three urological cases were attended to at the West Demerara Hospital. Patients will be given follow-up care by local medical personnel.

The team also identified measures to be addressed at the West Demerara Regional Hospital where it was noted that there should be the addition of an up and running second operation theatre.

Dr. Paul Dangerfield, one of the founders of the Medical Team pointed out the need for more needful equipment, as well as the upgrade of some that are currently in place. He observed that, “As the equipment are refined we will be able to apply more and more modern techniques…”
Among the visiting experts was Urologist, Dr. Joseph Benjamin, a doctor of Guyanese origin, who migrated as a child.

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