Ophthalmology Center to do surgeries by June

Mar 09, 2009 News

– Dr. Ramsammy
The newly opened ophthalmology centre at Port Mourant, Berbice is now operational, but it is not offering all of the services as yet.
According to Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, while only some services are being offered to the public, such as screening, major services like surgeries would have to wait until June.
It was explained that the Cuban medical technicians have already completed the process of installing medical equipment, which arrived from Cuba in Guyana recently. It is also expected that other shipments of medical equipment will arrive soon.

The Port Mourant Ophthalmology Center

Recently the Ministry of Health and the Regional Health Authority in Region Six have been doing some civil works at the Centre.
The housing accommodation for the 40-member Cuban medical team who will manage the Centre has been completed.
The team includes doctors, nurses, technicians, bio medical engineers and support staff.
The medical centre was constructed at a cost of some $140M, and is first of its kind to be built in the Caribbean.
It would have the capability to conduct approximately 10,000 eye surgeries per year in the areas of corrective refractive error, cataract, glaucoma, and retinopathy and retina detachment, while one of the centre’s long-term plans is to conduct eye transplants.
The establishment of the centre is part of the Cuban health assistance package which was initiated in 2006 following a visit by Guyana’s President Bharrat Jagdeo to Cuba.