THE George Washington University Hospital is currently on a medical outreach to Guyana. The 21-member specialised team arrived in Guyana on Saturday last. The team consists of Urologists, Anesthesiologists, General Surgeons and Nurses and will be in Guyana for approximately seven days.

The team includes Urologist Dr. Joseph Benjamin, a doctor of Guyanese birth who left Guyana as a child and has now returned for the first time since his initial departure.

The team will conduct complex surgeries in their respective specialisations at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH).

In addition to conducting surgeries, the team will hold several certified medical and nursing lectures accredited by the Guyana Medical Council. These lecture sessions aim to share new concepts and best practices within the respective professions.

The medical team is also accompanied by a video production crew consisting of two photographers and a producer who have been working on productions about the Guyana health sector prior to, and during, the surgical team’s visit.

The team will conduct continuing screening as the number of patients to be treated is expected to expand. In addition, the team brought its own medical supplies and surgical instruments. Approximately 20 surgeries of the most complicated cases in urology, and approximately 40 general surgeries have already been scheduled.

The team is financing its airfare while the Ministry of Health is providing all in-country funding for housing, ground transportation and meals.

BACKGROUND
Minister of Health, Dr. Bheri Ramsarran invited the team to Guyana during a visit to Washington in September last year as a participant of the 28th PAHO Regional Sanitary Conference. The minister’s invitation came as part of his Ministry’s on going initiative to forge new Strategic Partnerships with the international community to boost Guyana’s health services. Under Dr Ramsaran’s stewardship similar outreaches have been done with Calgary University among others.

The GW Hospital team visited in January to conduct a preliminary assessment of Guyana’s health facilities in preparation for this week’s visit.