Latest update March 29th, 2024 12:59 AM
Nov 04, 2012 News
– Dr Jindal
It may be very controversial to comment on whether a health service should be offered totally free rather than at a subsidised rate, said Kidney Surgeon, Dr Rahul Jindal, as he commented on the number of facilities now offering renal failure services in Guyana.
Coupled with the number of entities that have started offering such services there are plans brewing between the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and the Doobay Medical Centre to soon offer a free kidney transplant service by next year.
Dr Jindal, of the Walter Reed Medical Centre, Washington D.C., was the first Kidney Surgeon to conduct a kidney transplant operation in Guyana. He has undertaken four such successful operations at the public facility all of which were supported by United States-based philanthropist Mr George Subraj.
He, during an interview with this publication, noted that “the overall standard of dialysis has improved in Guyana. When we started coming here first there were only two or three chairs at the Five-G centre. Since then Balwant Singh Hospital and more hospitals are opening,” said an optimistic Dr Jindal during an interview.
Dr Jindal has since parted ways with the GPHC and is now offering his expert services at the privately-operated Balwant Singh Hospital where he has since undertaken another 10 transplant operations.
The Surgeon said that he is pleased that there are now more facilities offering renal failure services. “Monopoly is bad; competition is always good and with more dialysis programmes there will be more help for people and that will lend to the prices coming down.”
He further alluded to his belief that “nothing is free because even at the public hospital patients have to pay for certain things,” said Dr Jindal. He noted, “What we started was just a model that this (kidney transplants) can be done. The results have been good and it is not as expensive as people think it is…There is a small amount of expenditure though it is not totally free in any place.”
Operations at the Balwant Singh hospital are supported by Mr Subraj but patients are required to contribute a token, said Dr Jindal. This helps with ensuring that a quality service is continuously offered to them.
The Kidney Surgeon said, too, that at the Balwant Singh hospital the follow-up is currently better because if patients have a problem they can come to the hospital and access care quickly. Care is delivered by staffers who work in close collaboration with Dr Jindal.
“There is a constant line of communication which helps. The other thing is there is consistency of the staff,” said Dr Jindal as he made reference to the fact that the staff attending to patients are always the same.
“The same people are there after four years…this we did not find at the public hospital because there was a very frequent turnover of junior staff, so that was a major problem.” According to Dr Jindal, consistency of follow-up with the same people is a very important factor.
Since commencing operations at the private hospital, Dr Jindal with the support of a number of other overseas-based experts, has introduced other surgical interventions such as peritoneal dialysis and vascular access for dialysis.
He has also been offering second opinions to patients. He has even started attending to patients with hernias and appendicitis. “Sometimes simple things can be missed by everyone, not just in Guyana but also in the United States as well, so we have been trying to help in this area as well,” said Dr Jindal.
THIS IDIOT TELLING GUYANA WE HAVE NO SAY IN THE 50% PROFIT SHARING AGREEMENT WE HAVE WITH EXXON.
Mar 29, 2024
By Rawle Toney Kaieteur Sports – After a series of outstanding performances in 2023, Tianna Springer, dubbed the ‘wonder girl’, is eagerly gearing up to compete in this year’s...Kaieteur News – Good Friday in Guyana is not what it used to be. The day has lost much of its solemnity. The one day... more
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News – In the face of escalating global environmental challenges, water scarcity and... more
Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.
Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]