Guyana Medical Mission conducts 51 successful surgeries in New Amsterdam
DPI, Guyana, Tuesday, November 14, 2017
During the Guyana Medical Mission’s (GMM) recently concluded six-day visit, fifty-one surgeries were completed at the New Amsterdam Hospital.
The GMM over the past week (Nov. 6-10) was able to successfully conduct the surgeries at the New Amsterdam Hospital while at the same time providing technical support to the local doctors and nurses at the institution. Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, Head of the Mission Gynecologist and Oncologist Dr. Patrick Anderson said this is the eight year the mission has visited Guyana and this team included several surgeons as compared to the three doctors who accompanied the initial trip.
Focal Point Coordinator/Advisor to the Ministry of Public Health Alex Foster (in white); head of the mission Gynecologist and Oncologist Dr. Patrick Anderson (red and black stripe) and other members of the mission at the head table.
“Now the surgical department has been expanded to several general surgeons, several general gynecologists. The number of physicians and the number of persons joining the team has increased and it has expanded to different regions. Initially, we were just from the New York/New Jersey area now we are getting support from as far as California,” he explained.
Dr. Anderson stated that the doctors were gratified to provide the necessary medical care and their main focus was to compliment the services already being offered at the institution along with the team of specialists and equipment from overseas.
The visiting team assisted persons requiring complicated surgeries and with operations that cannot be performed without the purchase of expensive material. They also provided needed training for both nurses and doctors.
Head Surgeon at the New Amsterdam Hospital Dr. Ignocius Wrong speaking at a press conference on Friday said the local doctors and nurses benefited tremendously from the visit.
Last Sunday other members of the Mission commenced a series of medical outreaches starting at Fyrish and including outreaches to Manchester, Belladrum, Mahaica, Beterverwagting and on Friday at East La Penitence in Georgetown.
Senior surgeon of the New Amsterdam Hospital Dr. Lenox Alves explained that the Guyana Medical Mission was a subsidiary of the Caribbean Medical Mission and it has adopted the New Amsterdam Hospital. “The objective of our mission when we come here is to bring as many things as we possibly can such as mesh to do Hernias.”
Meanwhile, focal Point Coordinator/Advisor to the Ministry of Public Health Alex Foster thanked the team on behalf of the Minister and emphasized that their recommendations will be addressed so as to make their next visit more productive.
By: Tanuja Raikha