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GPHC remains a main source of eye care – Dr Norton
Dr George Norton
“There is no amount of compensation that can be given to somebody for their eyes…Employers, particularly in the farming industry, must seek to ensure that their workers are geared with the necessary protection,” said Head of the Ophthalmology Department of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), Dr George Norton. According to Dr Norton, who has been heading the Department for more than two decades, most cases of corneal ulcers are persons employed with the agricultural sector, particularly the sugar industry.
“I think GuySuCo (Guyana Sugar Corporation) should have eye protection for all of its cane harvesters…I have said this for years and I am not seeing any efforts being made to protect the cane harvesters.”
It was just Tuesday, last, that three patients, 37-year-old Gary Gonsalves of Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara, 41-year-old Mark Baird of North Ruimveldt, Georgetown, and 41-year-old Joel Franklin of Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo, were afforded corneal transplantation operations to correct vision problems.
The operations, which were spearheaded by Corneal Specialist, Chad Rostron, from the Moorfields Hospital in the United Kingdom, each lasted for just about one hour. Two of the patients, Gonsalves and Baird, have farming professions while Franklin is employed with the Uitvlugt Estate as a Cane Harvester.
In the instance of Franklin, Dr Norton disclosed that it was due to his exposure to ‘cane trash’ that he suffered a corneal ulcer. “We treated him and we got him so-called cured, but there was permanent damage to his eye and he like the others would have had to live their lives with this problem if they hadn’t this operation.”
The procedure was characterised by a process of transplanting corneal tissue from deceased individuals. The Corneal Specialist had previously screened about 20 patients, including children. However, none of the children was chosen to be operated on. According to Dr Norton, who shared in the experience, all three of the patients were selected due to the fact that they had, at some point of their life, suffered corneal trauma.
GPHC, Dr Norton explained, is currently unable to offer the procedure on a sustained basis since it does not have the necessary equipment and transplantation tissue. In fact he revealed that the operation may have been a one-off provision, even as he regarded those selected as “lucky.” The patients were all discharged the same day but will continue to receive follow-up treatment at GPHC.
Dr Norton said the eye clinic at the public hospital is normally faced with most cases of reversible blindness such as cataract. He revealed during an interview with this newspaper that the eye clinic routinely undertakes such operations, five days a week. These operations, he said, are done using intraocular lens implantation, which is done free of cost.
Such operations could be sought overseas at a daunting cost of US$3,000, according to Dr Norton. On average about 40 surgeries are undertaken on a weekly basis, and more than 200 patients are seen daily, he added.
“This is one of the clinics that function every day, 24 hours a day…We have nurses and other staff working here every day.”
Dr Norton pointed out that even with the establishment of the Port Mourant Ophthalmology Centre, the hospital’s clinic is still receiving a great deal of patients, including several referrals.
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