-reflective of friendly bilateral relations between Guyana and China
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett yesterday signed an agreement with Chinese Ambassador to Guyana, Zhang Jungao on behalf of the People’s Republic of China for the deployment of the ninth batch of Chinese medical doctors. Minister Rodrigues-Birkett said that the eight batch will be completing their stint in Guyana in May and the new batch is expected to arrive in June to replace the outgoing batch.
The new batch will comprise general surgeons, ophthalmologists, acupuncturists, radiologists, cardiologists, plastic surgeons, pathologists, gynecologists/obstetrician, orthopedists, anesthetists, and cooks.
According to Minister Rodrigues-Birkett, Guyana is the sole country in Latin America and the Caribbean where medical brigades have been deployed to assist the country’s health sector.
“The Chinese doctors will continue to advance the range and quality of the medical work and will complement the Government’s outreach programmes to the various regions,” she said.
The previous batch of doctors have shared their knowledge with local staff and provided training for them to conduct laparoscopy surgery, which was introduced during their two-year stint.
Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, who was present at the signing, expressed his gratitude to the Chinese Government for this initiative that has contributed significantly to the development of the work of the Health Ministry.
Noteworthy, is the introduction of laparoscopy, which is a modern way of conducting surgeries that reduces the need for cutting patients. He added that the equipment to perform laparoscopic surgeries was donated by the Chinese medical team.
Ambassador Jungao said that both China and Guyana have benefited immensely from this collaboration which will continue in the future. He expressed the hope that the new batch will do even better than the previous ones.
The Chinese Medical Brigade Programme is one of the many technical cooperation programmes between the Governments of Guyana and the People’s Republic of China.