–President Ali says new robotic technology to be used, orders health ministry to clear backlog within two months
PRESIDENT, Dr Irfaan Ali has directed the Ministry of Health to compile a list and clear the backlog of children in need of cardiac surgery within two months, using newly acquired robotic technology to perform procedures that can cost up to US$150,000 overseas.
Addressing the commissioning of a new medical bond in Region Two recently, the Head of State said the government has already invested in the latest robotic surgical systems and is now moving to ensure that every Guyanese child requiring cardiac intervention receives treatment locally and free of cost.
“We have invested in the latest robotic technology, and I said to the minister that every child that requires cardiac surgery and is ready for that surgery… that list must be compiled, each case must be filed, and that we must be prepared in two months to have those surgeries done here in Guyana,” the President told residents.
He underscored that the state is prepared to absorb the full financial burden of procedures that would otherwise be out of reach for most families.
“We now have the facilities. We want to bring in the expertise, because we want to clear up the backlog of children waiting for cardiac surgeries, especially our babies, infants,” he told the gathering.
The President framed the move not simply as a product of rising national revenues, but as an expression of the administration’s core values, contrasting Guyana’s stance with that of wealthier countries.
In early 2024, Dr Ali had announced government’s plans for a comprehensive programme aimed at providing cardiac surgeries for more than 150 children before the end of that year.
“They’re not many countries, regardless of how rich they are, how much revenue they have, how developed they have [sic], who can make these pronouncements, not because of revenue, but because of the philosophy, the philosophy of care, the philosophy of support, a philosophy of reliability, a philosophy of public trust, and that is what I want the Guyanese people to understand,” he stressed, adding:
“We are a government and a party you can trust; you can trust us to deliver on our commitment. You can trust us to work hard. You can trust us to do what we say we’ll do, even when the circumstance was not allowed.”
Back in May, Guyana etched its name into global medical history with the world’s longest-
distance cardiac telesurgery performed across continents using advanced robotic technology.
The surgery was conducted by internationally renowned cardiac surgeon Dr Sudhir Srivastava, who operated remotely from Guyana on a patient located in India using the SSI Mantra 3 robotic surgical system.
