Latest update February 6th, 2025 7:27 AM
CMO bids farewell to the Linden Hospital Complex
…after 29 years
Amidst tears and laughter last Friday at J.C. Renaissance Banquet Hall in Amelia’s Ward,
Bidding farewell to Dr. Mohamed Riyasat
the Linden Hospital bid farewell to Dr. Mohamed Riyasat after 29 years.
Chairman of the Board, Mortimer Mingo, said that 29 years of service to any organization, to an institution, to a community or to a country is something to be proud of.
“Looking at Dr. Riyasat today, one would say his 29 years here in Linden in General and more particularly at the Linden Hospital Complex, the fact that he has grown in stature and in size is indicative to me that he has certainly enjoyed those 29 years.”
Mr. Mingo thanked Dr. Riyasat for his service given at the Linden Hospital Complex and for being an integral part of the transformation over the years from the old to the new, and for all the achievements at the hospital.
He said that to work in an environment or in an institution that is a service to people, is always a challenge because of the hassle. So some move on, but the fact that Dr. Riyasat stayed for 29 years giving yeoman service to the people of Region Ten and further afield, is in itself worthy of praise.
The Board Chairman said that the Linden Hospital Complex recently won an award from the United Nations in keeping with the Leading Development goal for being the only hospital in Guyana for four consecutive years to have zero mortality rate.
Dr. Riyasat, as Chief Medical Officer, played an integral role in that achievement. Chief Executive Officer (Ag) Trevor Vangenderen, said that Dr. Riyasat was so committed to his work that in the early stages just to get to the hospital on time, he bought a bicycle and rode from Richmond Hill to the hospital.
His dedication saw him rise to Medical Superintendent in no time.
Dr. Armstrong the dental surgeon praised him for successfully delivering Siamese twin.
Detailing his sojourn at the Linden Hospital Complex, Dr. Riyasat said that when he first came to Linden to replace Dr. Galton Roberts he was told by the then Chief Medical Officer Dr. Stanley Marcus, “Jesus send you”.
When he enjoyed 24 hours light and water and no mosquitoes he said to himself, “Boy you ain’t going back nowhere; you staying here.”
The CMO claimed he was impressed with the Linden Hospital Complex. “I could have done a surgery and walk away without looking back. You don’t have to look for post surgical infection, whereas, at GPHC and New Amsterdam Hospitals where I worked before and you do a surgery, you have to study if the person get infected.
“The infection control for post surgical cases was minimal and we have maintained that standard up to today.”
He prided himself on his record of completing a caesarian section in 17 minutes and correcting an ectopic pregnancy in 10 minutes.
Dr. Riyasat said that in the days when there was no ultra sound and one had to use one’s good judgment for diagnosis, he remembered doing a normal incision for the delivery of one baby then realized it wasn’t one but conjoined twins, both weighing eight pounds.
“If you ask me today what magic I did to get out those two babies, I can’t explain that, but the babies came out alive.”
Dr. Riyasat claimed that in the old days he would go with the bus to the Upper Demerara Hospital and walk back through all the shortcuts, “stop by one, one people and drink li’l coffee” cross the boat and beg a lift from the five corner to the hospital to tend to his patients and complete his daily tasks.
Then he heard people started saying, “By de time you sit down Riyasat done write yuh prescription”. One can diagnose some patients from the time they start talking, he said.
Dr. Riyasat said he is happy and proud that he has been a part of the transformation from the old to the new hospital.
“You could recall in 2010 there was a spate of maternal deaths nationally, and I said that this hospital has to be recognized for something. I picked the Obstetrics Department. It must be known for work done in the Obstetrics Department; and if we are to use the success of zero maternal deaths within the last four years as the bench mark for our success we have done great.”
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