THE Cancer Institute of Guyana (CIG) is now authorised to administer radiation therapy to cancer patients in Guyana, according to internationally standardised best practices. Minister of Health Dr. Bheri Ramsaran, under the Health Facilities Licensing Act 2007, issued the organisation with a provisional licence that allows it to operate an oncology clinic with radiation therapy, in light of a recent evaluation showing that CIG is in compliance with requirements under the Health Facilities Licensing Act 2007, to provide the radiation services.
Minister Ramsaran, on Tuesday morning, handed over the licence to CIG Representative Feena Lagan at the Ministry of Health. Witnessing the exercise was the ministry’s Permanent Secretary Leslie Cadogan and Parliamentary Secretary Joe Hamilton, Director of Standards Dr. Julian Amsterdam and Medical Physicist Petal Surujpaul.
Minister Ramsaran explained that, “On Friday last (April 26), the Director of Standards (Dr. Julian Amsterdam) submitted his report indicating that the Cancer Institute of Guyana has put in place, not only equipment, but adequately qualified personnel to effectively and safely deliver services. I am now satisfied that the requirements under the ‘Health Facilities Licensing Act 2007’ are adequately met and the ministry is now in a position to issue correctly and appropriately the relevant licence.”
The provisional licence sanctions CIG to, for the next three months to conduct tele-therapy (the most common form of radiotherapy) in Guyana.
CIG opened its doors in 2006, in the compound of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and has been working towards licensing since 2009.
Minister Ramsaran especially recognised Dr. Amsterdam and Ms. Surujpaul, for staying the course. He said that these two workers in the past few months have, to a large extent, ensured the advancement of the process to this concluding moment.
The institute also received sustained technical support over the years and moreso over the last few months from the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO). Over the last few months, the institute has benefited from PAHO’s provision of specially recruited international consultations.
“These independent, highly qualified and reputable consultants were key and critical in allowing us to arrive at this moment, whereby the Ministry of Health is comfortable to license the facility immediately following the receipt of the final submissions from the Cancer Institute of Guyana and the subsequent report by the Director of Standards,” Minister Ramsaran said.
Minister Ramsaran acknowledged that the effort with regard to improving the operational standards of the institute is not complete, as the goal of raising the bar of the institution is ongoing.
He said the CIG is the only facility providing this vital service in Guyana and in respect of the pressing need for the service, the ministry joined with stakeholders to continue the effort of strengthening and expanding the effort of providing safe, effective and quality management service to cancer patients in Guyana at the facility.
According to Dr Amsterdam, some of the areas that were looked at, in examining the licensing of the institute, include governance and maintenance; maintenance of medical records; patient care arrangement; equipment and supplies; sanitation and safety and with regard to the oncology centre, that this section be supervised by a physician who has the specific training and be equipped with trained oncology staff.
These are among the checklist of the Health Facilities Licensing Act 2007, that are ticked off during the inspection and evaluation process. An organisation must at the least attain a 70 percent score to be approved for licensing, he said.
The Ministry of Health in 2009 first inspected the institute towards licensing, but the institute failed to reach the required standards. Since then, it has been working with local experts and some from PAHO to ensure that the CIG’s service is in compliance with the laws of Guyana, and is up to standard best practices.
Dr. Amsterdam noted the last inspection in May 2012, when the institute organised external calibration for its Linear Accelerator (LINAC), which is critical to the provision of radio therapy service. This machine, in essence, generates high energy for external beam radiation treatment for cancer. It generates electrons that target and kill cancerous cells.
The machine under the Health Facilities Licensing Act 2007 must adhere to certain limits of errors to be found acceptable, must be in compliance with requirements, and operated by a trained person, such as a radio-oncologist.
Dr. Amsterdam said that when the Ministry of Health with  assistance from PAHO in 2012 attempted to calibrate the LINAC machine, it was deemed non-functional and the service stopped. A different LINAC machine was installed after. (GINA)