By Stephan Sookram

THE Government of Guyana through the Ministry of Public Health is planning to support boxer Clive Atwell as he prepares to have reconstructive surgery in Trinidad and Tobago.The boxer who initially required surgery after incurring an acute-subdural hematoma (SDH) now has to do reconstructive surgery to his cranium.

During a press briefing yesterday morning at the Ministry of Public Health’s Brickdam office, Atwell along with his wife, trainer and mother/coach met with Junior Health Minister DrKaren Cummings, Sport Director Christopher Jones and several other ministry officials.
According to Dr Cummings, the 27-year-old now needs to send a formal request for assistance to the Ministry to complete the corrective surgery before further assistance can be forthcoming from the government’s arm.
The briefing also dispelled erroneous statements that the government was not helping the boxer to undergo his surgery when it was in fact revealed that the ministry is in the process of acquiring the said instruments for the procedure.
Both Minister Cummings and the surgeon that conducted Atwell’s initial surgery, Dr Amernauth Dookie, contended that contrary to the headline in yesterday’s Kaieteur newspaper titled, ‘Clive Atwell in biggest fight of his life,’ Atwell’s surgery is not life-threatening.
“You (Clive) have a skull defect that needs to be repaired. It’s more or less cosmetic. You’re not going to lose your life if it’s not done but you’ve given us (Guyana) good service and we would like to see the process to completion,” the Minister said.
According to Dr Cummings, the Ministry had been sourcing the instruments needed to complete the surgery locally at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) and is in the process of procuring the required instruments.
However, procurement is providing a setback according to the Minister, who said, “This is not like ‘I have my money and the plates are selling here, we can go to buy, it’s nothing like that, it’s not done like that’.”
The neurosurgeon contended, “His surgery is a reconstructive corrective surgery. That is not a life-threatening condition he has currently. He has a defect in his skull that needs repair and I agree with that.”
“I’ve explained to him on various occasions that it should be done in six months which is up and I agree with that. Circumstances in sourcing them (the equipment and materials) or having it done overseas is out of my hand. If they have it, I will proceed and do the surgery,” Dr. Dookie said.
Atwell, thankful for the help given so far said, “The thing is I want to move on with my life. Dr Dookie mentioned to me that he doesn’t know when the stuff will get here and you are saying yourself (minister) that this thing will take some time.”
“Trinidad told me that if I can get the money, It can be done in a week, they can have the stuff ready in a week, I would gravely appreciate whatever assistance I can get to travel to proceed along that line,” he continued.
Should Atwell opt to do the surgery in Guyana, he will be the first to undergo something of that nature here but not the first under the blade of Dr Dookie, who admitted that he has done that surgery abroad.
An acute subdural hematoma (SDH), according to neurosurgery.ucla is when a clot of blood that develops between the surface of the brain and the dura mater, the brain’s tough outer covering, usually due to stretching and tearing of veins on the brain’s surface. These veins rupture when a head injury suddenly jolts or shakes the brain.