China gives $80M worth in Medical equipment to GPHC

Oct 30, 2015 News

The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) yesterday received $80M worth in Medical equipment from Jiangsu Provincial Commission of Health and Family Planning of the People’s Republic of China and the National Health and Family Planning Commission.
The donated equipment, which includes an ultrasound knife, an operating microscope among others, will go towards the establishment of a Trauma Centre at the GPHC.
A Trauma Centre provides care for patients suffering from major traumatic injuries such as falls, motor vehicle accidents, and gunshot wounds.
The equipment was handed over in the presence of the eleventh brigade of Chinese medical students, the Chinese Ambassador to Guyana, Zhang Limin, Junior Minister of Public Health, Karen Cummings and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge.
The Health Ministry of Jiangsu Provincial Commission of Health and the Family Planning gave $60M worth in equipment to GPHC while the National Health and Family Planning Commission of the People’s Republic of China contributed $20M.
The donation is part of an integral effort to develop friendly relations between the Chinese Government and Guyana.
Head of the Orthopedic Department, Dr. David Samaroo, reminded the gathering that the first group of Chinese immigrants came here in 1853 as indentured labourers, who brought along their language, culture and Chinese traditional medicine.
He added that 120 years later, Guyana formally established a diplomatic relationship with China. “Shortly after we began our diplomatic relationship, China began sending teams of doctors to work here.”

Speaking at the podium is the Chinese Ambassador, (at the back is his interpreter), along with the other members

According to Samaroo, in 2009, the Chinese medical team recognized that their services were somewhat underutilized and this was because Guyana didn’t possess all of the specialized instruments that they needed to function effectively.
In addition to the Medical team, the Chinese Government later donated a number of laparoscopic instruments to the hospital which were used to launch the laparoscopic Centre.
A laparoscopic is a flexible fiberoptic instrument which passes through a small incision in the abdominal wall and is equipped with biopsy forceps, an obturator or scissors, to examine the abdominal cavity or perform minor surgery.
The Chinese Government also trained local surgeons to use the instrument. They also donated a number of equipment to other departments at the hospital.
Last year, the hospital received $15M worth in medical instrument.
According to the Ambassador, China and Guyana share a very long history of friendship, and China has been donating equipment since in the 1960s.
He said that China intends to continue with this gesture in order to develop and maintain a better relationship with Guyana.
Cummings said that the contribution came at a time when the government is pushing to take Guyana forward.
“Since 22 years ago, they lend support to the health system and they have continuously provided medical support,” the minister noted.
In closing, Greenidge thanked the Chinese representatives for the timely donations.