–After Chinese Medical Team donates US$50k international-standard machines

–47 eye scans completed in the first week

SIGNALLING a significant advancement in eyecare services, the Chinese Medical Team recently donated a US$50,000 Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) machine to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

The tool is renowned for its international-standard retinal imaging. It maps eye layers and analyses optic nerves and is critical for treating endemic conditions like diabetic eye disease and glaucoma.

Dr. Huang Xiaobo, a Chinese ophthalmologist and the consultant of the ophthalmology department at GPHC, led training on how to use the device, according to a press release. Three Guyanese clinicians now operate it independently after two weeks of training.

It has also been noted that the hospital completed 47 scans in the first week, prompting an appointment system to manage demand. GPHC plans to integrate OCT into routine screening for diabetes and glaucoma patients to reduce blindness risks.

“This is China’s latest gift of sight to Guyana,” said the head of ophthalmology, Dr. Shailendra Sugrim.

Dr. Sugrim noted that the donation was a “strategic upgrade” in China-Guyana’s medical co-operation.

The move follows a China-donated phacoemulsification machine that revolutionised cataract surgery in the past 20 years.

“We’ve transitioned from reacting to blindness to preventing it,” he said. Leader of the 20th China Medical Team for Guyana, Dr. Du Boxiang, called the upgrade “a 30-year partnership milestone,” noting the shift from curative to preventive care as a shared achievement.

“This embodies China’s ongoing commitment to Guyana’s healthcare progress,” he added.