Corbin medivaced to New York

Apr 28, 2009 News

PNCR Leader, Robert Corbin

After two days of medical attention at the Woodlands Hospital and at the Caribbean Heart Institute (CHI) respectively, leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), Robert Corbin, was flown to the United States yesterday morning.
Brother of the Opposition Leader, Charles Corbin, confirmed this development during a telephone interview with this newspaper, around 10:45 hours yesterday. According to Charles Corbin, the 61-year-old political figure will receive additional and direct medical attention from his doctors at a hospital in New York.
On Saturday night, Corbin was transferred to the Caribbean Heart Institute in the Georgetown Public Hospital compound.

Yesterday, he was not allowed to walk. Porters wheeled him to the ambulance and at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, he was again wheeled to the aircraft, which came equipped with medical personnel.
Charles Corbin said that his brother’s doctors in New York were aware of his medical condition and had indicated their preference to have him travel to the US for direct attention.
Charles Corbin had told Kaieteur News on Saturday that plans were being streamlined by the family to have Corbin be medivaced to the United States by the middle of this week.
He, at that point, had cited logistics as one of the reasons for a possible delay in the departure.
However, with Government footing the bill and other medical expenses the pace of the evacuation was advanced.

But according to Charles Corbin, up to yesterday his brother remained in a stable condition, adding that the family continues to be optimistic that all will be well.
Last Saturday, the PNCR Leader was driving himself to a party meeting when he began feeling unwell, a development that had caused him to divert to the Woodlands Hospital where he was admitted with a suspected heart attack.
PNCR General Secretary, Oscar Clarke had however informed this newspaper that while he has not been privy to details about Corbin’s diagnosis he was aware that he had suffered some amount of “fluttering of the heart” in addition to some chest pains.

The party leader, while a patient of the Woodlands Hospital, was examined by medical officials who conducted a series of tests were carried out before he was sedated and left to rest for about three hours.
By nightfall, Corbin was alert and was able to communicate with his doctors in New York and the tests had come back negative, according to Charles Corbin. However, the party leader was still experiencing some discomfort and according to the doctors at Woodlands Hospital, he had been stabilised enough to travel.
However he was transferred to the Caribbean Heart Institute at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) on Sunday at the request of his overseas-based doctors.

City Mayor Hamilton Green at the Georgetown Municipality’s statutory meeting yesterday lamented the fact that that the party leader could not have received the requisite invasive intervention at the GPHC.
He said that it was anticipated that by now Guyana would have had a solid cardiology unit with the necessary and permanent personnel, given the fact that a few political figures have died of heart-related ailments. Corbin’s departure has now paved the way for the reigns of the PNCR party to be taken up by its chairpersons, Basil Williams and Volda Lawrence, according to Clarke, who added that the party’s business would continue as usual