– 20 surgeries completed

THE Aishalton District Hospital’s theatre in Region Nine (Upper Takutu–Upper Essequibo) has been operationalised after being non-functional for several years.

Twenty surgeries have been successfully conducted to date, of which 14 were major surgeries.

They were conducted by a team from the Georgetown Public Hospital during a four-day medical outreach by the Health Ministry led by Director-General, Dr Vishwa Mahadeo.

Dr Mahadeo, speaking with the Department of Public Information (DPI), said Aishalton residents would no longer be required to travel to Lethem or Georgetown to have their surgeries done.

The director general said, “From 2021, the current PPP/C government took the decision that we will rebuild the theatre, we will get it back functioning so that persons, citizens living in this sub-region, they can benefit.

“The hospital has been renovated, is providing more services, a more modern lab with all the services that are necessary for surgeries, have a blood bank, so they have blood available, have more medicines available.” Dr Mahadeo said in 2023, mini theatres are expected to be developed at the Annai, Karasabai, and Sand Creek health facilities.

DPI spoke with a few patients who benefitted from surgeries during the outreach.

Katherine James, a resident of Aishalton expressed her gratitude to the government for bringing this service into her community.

She said, “I went under surgery for my gallstone and I am very happy that I had it right here in my own village. I did not have to travel to Lethem or to Georgetown. I am very thankful for that… I am right here; I could go nearby to my house.”

Clerita Peters, a Crowdar resident, added, “Tonight I had two surgeries being done on me … I would like to thank the Government of Guyana so much for bringing this service this far and I would also like to see this happening in the future, because I know there are a lot of persons who need this service.”

Aishalton was not the only community that benefitted from the medical outreach as the team visited Shulinab and Shea among other areas. Services that were taken to the people included obstetrics, gynaecology, internal medicine, ophthalmology, audiology, speech therapy, and dental services.

This is the first major medical outreach by the health ministry for 2023.
Over the past year, similar outreaches were conducted in other regions as part of President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali’s initiative of carrying services to the people. (DPI)