Latest update April 9th, 2025 12:59 AM
Local doctors being trained to diagnose heart ailments
A batch of local doctors is slated to undergo training in echo-cardiology technology at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), a move that comes through a strategic partnership forged between the Ministry of Health and the Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta, Canada.
According to Minister of Health, Dr Bheri Ramsaran, a 13-member team from the Libin Institute, headed by Professor Debra Isaacs, a renowned Cardiologist of many years, is expected here in a matter of days to facilitate the training programme which will entail sessions on echo-cardiology diagnostic technology and the use of the associated machines.
Health Minister,
Dr Bheri Ramsaran
The Libin Institute has also donated a number of machines to allow Guyanese doctors to test, examine and establish heart related diagnoses, Dr Ramsaran said. “I am happy to say that this is one of the strategic partnerships that we have developed…In the present mode we are developing a lot of strategic partnerships so that these centres of excellence like Calgary University, for example, can bring to us skills and expertise that we do not have,” said Dr Ramsaran.
In addition to training the doctors, the visiting team will also be offering follow-up care to 10 paediatric patients who underwent operations in the Dominican Republic a few months ago.
The paediatric operations represented another strategic partnership forged by the GPHC with the United States-based Baby Heart Foundation along with other partners, which is expected to be a long-term one aimed at saving the lives of many children at no cost to their families.
And in order to have a focused cardiac care programme, a Guyana Paediatric Cardiology Steering Committee was established.
The Committee represents a collaboration of the GPHC with the Libin Cardiovascular Institute and the Universities of Calgary and Toronto, and is designed to serve as the Central Committee to help organise the surgical efforts for children with various conditions that require advanced cardiac interventions. The Steering Committee met for the first time in February.
Added to the cardiac operations the programme is expected to channel, efforts will also have to be made to ensure that after care is made available to the children operated on. It has long been established that in any operation, follow-up care is an important aspect of management of patients.
Moreover, plans were streamlined to establish a specific clinic at the GPHC to cater to the returning children as well as those being screened for heart conditions.
And since the follow-up care of these patients is expected to be undertaken mainly by overseas medical experts, the visiting team will also be looking to attend to the recovering paediatric patients.
At the same time, Dr Ramsaran said that the team will be directing some attention to another small batch of paediatric patients who are expected to be screened and identified for future surgical operations overseas.
Any child screened and found to have potential heart problems will be afforded an eco-cardiogram, which is an ultra sound of the heart. The eco-cardiogram is then sent to experienced paediatric cardiologists at the University of Calgary who in turn communicate with local doctors the needful course of action.
Once a child is found to be in need of cardiac surgery, strategic action is taken to streamline the needful surgery at an appropriate time.
But although the paediatric heart surgeries are being done with support from the overseas partners, the intent of the programme is to ensure that local health professionals secure needful training in a couple of years.
Moreover, it is designed to realise a sustainable programme that is staffed by local professionals.
And according to Dr Ramsaran, “All of this is pro bono; this service is being offered by the Calgary University as a gesture of solidarity and practically at no cost to us.”
He disclosed, too, that the programme is one that is an initiative of a Guyanese, Dr Kishan Narine, a Cardiac Surgeon who currently resides and practices in Canada.
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