Public Health sector boosted with return of local specialists  

DPI, Guyana, Thursday, September 20, 2018

Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence, this morning welcomed two young Guyanese doctors who have returned home after specialising in different fields abroad.

The young women, Dr. Arlene Bobb-Semple and Dr. Anna Collins have studied for a number of years before returning home to serve their country.

Orthodontist, Dr. Anna Collins and Ophthalmologist, Dr. Arlene Bobb-Semple.

[In the photo, from left to right] – Ophthalmologist Dr. Arlene Bobb-Semple, Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence and Orthodontist, Dr. Anna Collins.

Dr. Bobb-Semple is an ophthalmologist with a sub-speciality training in vitro retinal surgery. She completed her residency program in Uganda followed by a phacoemulsification fellowship in Kenya and a vitreoretinal fellowship program in Tanzania.

Dr. Bobb-Semple is hopeful for a smooth integration into the public health sector. She remarked that while she may encounter “a few challenges” as she begins her “journey as an ophthalmologist and more specifically as a vitreoretinal specialist” she has high hopes that “with the development of the infrastructural aspects of the Ministry of Health and the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation… there will be a smooth transition and that I will be able to fully offer my skill set and services to the Guyanese public.”

Dr. Anna Collins spent a total of nine years in China where she specialized in orthodontics at Xi’an Jiaotong University. Whilst studying abroad had its challenges, she is “eager to commence working.” Dr. Collins stated that she believes her field to be very important and expressed her opinion that “the public needs to be educated on the field so that preventative measures can be put in place. She is also hopeful that through her efforts she will give “Guyana a great smile.”

Minister Lawrence noted that the young women would add to the capacity of the health sector. Both young women studied abroad on government scholarships.

Anara Khan.

Images: Jules Gibson.

Editor’s Note: Phacoemulsification is a cataract removal surgery that involves taking out the front portion of the eye lens while retaining the posterior capsule. It is a safe, painless procedure followed by the implantation of an artificial lens (IOL) in the affected eye to improve vision.

Vitreoretinal surgery refers to an operation to treat eye problems involving the retina, macula, and vitreous fluid. These include retinal detachment, macular hole, epiretinal membrane and complications related to diabetic retinopathy.