A total of $12M in equipment was handed over to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) yesterday by the People’s Republic of China to outfit the Eye Centre and Centre for Laparoscopic Surgery established through collaborations between China and Guyana.

In addition to the donation of equipment, two plaques, naming the centres, were unveiled. The collaborative effort was lauded by the Chinese Ambassador Zhang Jungao as a major achievement in the medical cooperation between the two countries.

Jungao said, “The Chinese will continue their long-term support to Guyana, focusing on the two centres.”

He pointed out that despite the fact that China and Guyana are far apart, they have a common aspiration for development and cooperation.

Zhang said that with the support of the two governments, the centres will significantly improve the medical care in Guyana as it brings more benefit to the Guyanese people.

The Director of China’s Division of International Cooperation, Mr. Liji Wang, said not only will the centre result in better services, but they will also serve to enhance diagnostic, research development and training capacity.

Wang noted that advancements are important considering the rapid economic and social development in Guyana.

To this end he said, there needs to be increased focus on upgrading medical technology to meet the needs of people.

Dr Madan Rambaran, Director of Medical and Professional Services at the GPHC, said the work that has been made possible though collaborations between the two countries conforms to the Corporation’s plan for advancement.

He said that the centres will not only provide a platform for further collaboration with the Chinese Medical Team, but will also assist with collaborations with other partners.

Rambaran reiterated that the ultimate outcome of collaboration will be the advancement of works that the hospital have done in the areas of eye surgery and laparoscopy.

Laparoscopy is a procedure performed through very small incisions in the abdomen, using specialised instruments. A pencil-thin instrument, called a laparoscope, is used, and it gives the surgeon an exceptionally clear view, on a TV monitor, of the inside of the abdominal cavity.

Additionally, statistics from the GPHC places its annual average routine eye surgeries at 1,500.

According to Rambaran, between January 2006 and December 2008, over 3,700 eye surgeries have been performed, 70 per cent of which were for cataracts.

The Medical and Professional Services Director expressed his appreciation to the Chinese Medical Team for its support in different areas of advancement.

The foreign team primarily supports operations at the GPHC and at the Linden Medical Complex.