HAVING successfully completed eight weeks of training in the performance and interpretation of cardiac ultrasound (echocardiography) procedures conducted at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and the Project Dawn Centre at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown, three Guyanese doctors on Thursday graduated, and were each accredited the Competence in Cardiac Ultrasound Performance and Interpretation Certificate. The training was provided under a special collaboration involving the LIBIN Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta; The Institute of Health Sciences Education of the Ministry of Health, and the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).
Echocardiographic studies identify the structures of the heart, and the function of its pumping chambers and valves. Identification of cardiac abnormalities by echocardiography results in improved diagnosis, which in turn leads to enhanced ability of the doctor to treat the patient, the GPHC outlined.
The graduation ceremony was held last Thursday at the Herdmanston Lodge at Lamaha and Oronoque Streets in Queenstown, Georgetown, and was attended by a modest gathering of distinguished persons, including Canadian High Commissioner, Mr. David Devine; Health Minister, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran; Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Shamdeo Persaud; Chief Executive Officer of the Georgetown Public Hospital, Mr. Michael Khan; former Director of Professional and Medical Services at the GPHC, Dr. Madan Rambarran; Urologist Dr. Sharma; and the visiting partners, the LIBIN Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta, Canada.
The three graduates accredited were Dr. Alexandria Harvey; Dr. Kishore Ramdass, and Dr. Ramkarran Ramsackal. Drs Harvey and Ramdass are currently physicians at the GPHC, while Dr. Ramsackal works at the New Amsterdam Hospital. He has been provided with portable echocardiography equipment which will enable him to provide specialized service at that hospital.
Also fortunate to have benefited from training provided by the Canadian partners was Ms. Abiola Nelson, Radiology Manager and X-Ray Technician at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). Ms. Nelson, who was trained under a separate component of the programme, was awarded Special Certification in Basic Ultrasound Principles and Equipment Management.
The hospital administration has said that a formal echocardiography lab has been set up and equipped at the GPHC, and the doctors who have completed this programme are looking forward to providing to the public health system access to this important cardiac diagnostic test.
All this was made possible through support garnered from the LIBIN Cardiovascular Institute of the University of Calgary, which provided support for the programme and the echocardiography equipment donated, compliments of Philips of Canada. Tuition was provided by cardiology specialists and technologist educators from Calgary, Canada.

As a component of this education programme, the GPHC said, students were also given updates on the management of cardiac diseases by

Canadian cardiologists.
Course Director was Professor Debra Isaac of the University of Calgary; Programme Facilitator was Professor Kishan Narine; Programme Development, Equipment Facilitation was done by M. Wendy Kachmarski and Lisa Tolton; whilst Kim Ronak and Corinna Fry had command of Project Logistics.
Other distinguished coaches included Professor J. Wayne Warnica, and Dr. Kathryn Becker, who had responsibility for clinical correlation and echocardiography.
The team of ECO educators comprised Denise Martin; Karei Lamb; Linden Santos, Peter Leaman, Michelle Ball, Michelle Robertson, Mila Potter, and Henryka Stachyra — all of Canada.

The Health Ministry/Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation would like to acknowledge donations and other support coming from the following persons:
* Al Karim Walli and Dr. Todd Andersen of the LIBIN Cardiovascular Institute
* Sarah Turpie of Freeland Systems, who so generously provided software for image acquisition, report generation, and storage
* Dave Buchaski of Philips, Canada, who facilitated echocardiography machines; and not least: Susan Dewitt – for providing educational resources.