– specialised Apollo team to begin procedures Sept. 28
– President Ali says gov’t working to eliminate paediatric cardiac surgery backlog

SEVENTEEN children with congenital heart defects are expected to undergo specialised, life-saving cardiac surgeries in Guyana later this month, as the government moves to eliminate the backlog of children awaiting complex heart procedures.
President Dr Irfaan Ali made the announcement on Saturday while engaging parents and several of the children who are expected to benefit from the programme.
The Government has engaged a specialised medical team from Apollo Hospitals in India to work alongside local healthcare professionals at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). The 17 procedures are scheduled to be performed between September 28 and October 2.
President Ali said the initiative forms part of his government’s commitment to ensuring that Guyanese children requiring specialised cardiac interventions can access world-class care without families having to shoulder the burden of travelling overseas.
“One of the things that we promised every Guyanese is to invest in healthcare, invest in world-class healthcare,” the President said.
He acknowledged the emotional and financial strain placed on families when children require complex procedures that are not readily available locally, noting that overseas treatment can involve significant expenses as well as challenges surrounding travel and visas.
Against this backdrop, Ali said the government has been working on a programme aimed at reducing the number of children awaiting specialised cardiac surgery to zero.
The latest initiative builds on a commitment made earlier this year by the President to have the Ministry of Health identify children requiring cardiac interventions and accelerate treatment locally.
Following the first 17 procedures, the President said another phase is being planned for December, targeting approximately 10 additional children.
“We are making this investment because not only did we promise it, we are making this investment because we care,” Ali told the parents.
Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony, said the Apollo team was specifically engaged because some of the children on the local waiting list have highly complex conditions requiring expertise and resources beyond those normally available during existing visiting cardiac missions.
According to Anthony, cardiologists and other specialists at GPHC assessed the cases and determined that some would require a larger specialised team, additional technical personnel and more time to complete the procedures safely.
He said Apollo Hospitals has extensive experience in complex cardiac surgery and already has an established relationship with Guyana through a memorandum of understanding that includes training opportunities for local doctors.
Rather than sending the children overseas, Anthony said the international specialists will travel to Guyana and perform the procedures using local facilities.
The minister said this approach also allows parents and children to remain closer to their families and support systems during what can be a difficult period.
Guyana has been steadily expanding its capacity to provide specialised cardiac care locally. In July, President Ali directed that the backlog of children requiring cardiac surgery be addressed, while GPHC has also expanded the range of complex cardiac interventions being performed in the country.
Head of GPHC’s Paediatrics Department, Dr Tarik Davidson, said the upcoming mission will involve cases that are more complex than those generally handled during previous paediatric cardiac missions.
He explained that such missions are highly technical and costly, with the programme costing close to US$1 million annually.
Davidson said investments made over the years have nevertheless allowed GPHC to strengthen its equipment, staffing and overall capacity to manage paediatric cardiac patients.
He also disclosed that two additional ventilators, valued at approximately $15 million, are expected to be acquired to support the programme.
While the upcoming mission will focus on surgery, Davidson said GPHC is also moving to clear another backlog involving echocardiograms.
An initiative dubbed “Operation Echoes” is planned for October and is expected to involve cardiologists and sonographers from Northwell Health in New York and a team from Calgary, Canada.
The objective, he said, is to eliminate the waiting list for echocardiograms at GPHC by the end of October.
GPHC’s Chief Executive Officer, Robbie Rambarran, also pointed to the expansion of the paediatric cardiac programme in recent years, including partnerships with Gift of Life International and other overseas specialists.
Research presented this year to the American Association for Thoracic Surgery states that a paediatric cardiac surgical programme was launched at GPHC in 2023 using an international partnership model focused not only on treating patients, but also on transferring clinical skills to Guyanese healthcare professionals.
Assistant Director of Nursing, Charmaine Cornette, meanwhile, sought to reassure parents ahead of the upcoming procedures.
Cornette said nursing and technical teams will provide round-the-clock care and support to the children throughout the mission.
President Ali said the broader objective is to reach the stage where no child in Guyana is left waiting for necessary specialised cardiac intervention.
The programme, he said, is ultimately about giving affected children the opportunity to live healthy and rewarding lives while building Guyana’s capacity to provide increasingly complex medical care at home.