GUYANA has taken another significant step in strengthening specialised healthcare services, with the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) now equipped to perform radical prostatectomy surgery, a major procedure used to treat patients with prostate cancer that is confined to the prostate gland.
The milestone follows a Radical Prostatectomy Surgical Workshop hosted by GPHC’s Urology Department and led by Consultant Urologist Dr Kirk Gooden of the Port of Spain General Hospital in Trinidad and Tobago.
The intensive workshop provided local urologists with hands-on training in performing the complex surgical procedure, enhancing their expertise and expanding the range of specialist cancer services available locally.
A radical prostatectomy involves the surgical removal of the prostate gland and seminal vesicles in patients whose cancer remains localised within the prostate.
According to Dr Gooden, the procedure is one of the primary treatment options for prostate cancer and represents an important advancement for healthcare delivery in Guyana.
“It will definitely be better for the people of Guyana knowing that this surgery is now available,” Dr Gooden said, explaining that his visit was aimed at equipping local surgeons with the knowledge and practical skills needed to independently perform the operation.
He praised the progress made by the GPHC team during the workshop, noting that after guiding surgeons through the first operation and explaining each step of the procedure, they quickly demonstrated the ability to perform subsequent surgeries with minimal assistance.
“When they went into the second case, they essentially did it partially on their own, and then they went ahead and completed a third and fourth case. I think Guyana is now ready to perform radical prostatectomies here at the hospital,” he said.
Dr Gooden described the initiative as an excellent collaboration between the Port of Spain General Hospital and GPHC and expressed optimism about continued partnerships to strengthen specialised urological care across the region.
He also highlighted the need for greater attention to prostate cancer in the Caribbean, noting that the region records some of the highest mortality rates from the disease worldwide.
Beyond introducing the advanced procedure, Dr Gooden commended GPHC’s investment in training young doctors in urology, saying the programme is laying the foundation for a stronger specialist workforce.
He said the continued development of local expertise will ensure Guyana has an increasing number of qualified urologists capable of providing advanced care, reducing the need for patients to seek specialised treatment overseas.
The introduction of radical prostatectomy surgery marks another milestone in GPHC’s ongoing efforts to expand specialised medical services and improve access to advanced cancer treatment for Guyanese patients.
