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Long-serving Berbice dental surgeon
Prominent dentist Dr. Benoit Langlois, 73, who hailed from Haiti and of Lot 41 Stanleytown, New Amsterdam, and who has been residing in Guyana for the past 36 years in Berbice, has died.
He passed away on Tuesday after ailing for some time at home. When his condition worsened he was rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital where he died later that day.
Dr. Benoit Langlois
Well known as ‘Doctor Ben’, Dr. Benoit Langlois arrived in Guyana as a dental surgeon from Haiti in 1977 and worked exclusively in Berbice.
He left his home country Haiti in 1974, before journeying to Canada to study. After spending three years in Canada, he journeyed to Guyana and joined the Ministry of Health in 1977. In March 1977 he was sent to the New Amsterdam Hospital which had been without a dentist for two years.
Dr. Ben immediately fell in love with the Ancient County and moreso, New Amsterdam. He refused to move when he was being transferred to other locations. On one occasion he was asked to serve in Linden and he threatened that he would prefer to return to Haiti than leave Berbice.
The doctor would travel the length and breadth of costal Berbice to other hospitals to conduct his clinics. He would visit Fort Wellington, Port Mourant, Mibicuri and Skeldon which did not have dental surgeons.
His love for the job was so much that he served way past his retirement age and finally stopped working in the public sector in June 2012 and the age of 72. He however continued to practice at his private clinic at his Lot 41 Stanleytown Home.
During his time he was a prominent member of the Rotary Club of New Amsterdam. Members described him as simple, hard working, dedicated and always willing to go the extra mile to assist. He also did work with the Berbice Mining Enterprise (Bermine).
His long time serving staff member Ella Thomson who also worked with him at the New Amsterdam hospital stated that one of the reasons that he remained in Guyana for so many years was because he never liked travelling, “not even to cross the Berbice River with the ferry.”
Dr. Ben leaves to mourn, a wife and three children who all reside in Canada. Plans are being made to take his remains back to Haiti for burial.
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