New York medical team makes 3rd annual visit to Linden

Jul 26, 2016 News

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The Overseas Medical Assistance Team (OMAT), in collaboration with the Women Of Mission International (WOMI) yesterday kick started its medical mission at the Linden Hospital Complex. These services are expected to run until July 31.
Every year the medical mission services by OMAT are administered free of cost to hundreds of patients in Linden and the Region.
In addition to these services, the mission will also facilitate a mental health lecture for medical professionals at the Linden Hospital Complex; a Community Health forum; a National Women’s Conference; a Students First Educational programme and a Fitness Walk and Health Fair.
The visiting team includes medical doctors and surgeons from the USA, and support staff from the Linden Hospital Complex, including retired Medex Anna Glasgow.
Lindener Dr. Stephen Carryl, who is currently the Chairman of Surgery at the Wyckoff Heights Hospital Centre in Brooklyn, New York, heads the medical team.
Their schedule of activities is daily medical treatment and surgeries at the Linden Hospital Complex; Student First Literacy Programme at the One Mile Primary today a Mental Health forum and a Proactive Teen/Young Adult Parenting Programme.
On July 29, the team is expected to host an all-day National Women’s Conference themed, “Know Your Purpose” at the Egbert Benjamin Centre on Republic Avenue in Linden.
A Community Fitness Walk/Health Fair on Sunday July 31 and Community outreach at Hauranuni Girls Home on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway will bring the curtain down on the week of activities.
Those engaged in the delivery of health care at the Linden Hospital Complex are Leon Lewis, MD OB/GYN; Michael Kirlew MD-GP; Rupert Thomas, MD Urologist; Giselle Blair, MD-GP; Althea Clement RN, Midwifery; Errol Liverpool, PHD Psychologist; Samella Carryl High School Student; JoAnne Carryl – OMAT Mission Coordinator and Co-Founder of OMAT.
Other volunteers are Bonita Primo, Bibi Ali Businesswoman; RoseMary Williams, Linda Felix-Johnson, Educator /Team coordinator and President of WOMI, Guliana Jacobs Business owner and WOMI Vice-President, Carol Archer, Special Education teacher and WOMI member.
Apart from the medical team, the Education personnel and other volunteers will be working in various areas across Linden.
President of WOMI, Linda Felix, reflecting on the visit noted, “Over the years, our dedicated team has worked around the clock during the visits to provide critical surgeries and medical consultation to the people of Linden and Region Ten. The 2016 team is very excited to provide these much needed services.
“We hope that residents of Linden and Region Ten would seize the opportunity to receive free and expert medical treatment, complimenting the existing services offered at the local hospital and health centers.”
According to Felix, WOMI prides itself on being a reputable organization that provides extensive services for the people of Linden, through community nutritional programmes, scholarships to women, annual Women’s Empowerment fora/conferences, Vocational Studies Scholarship, Students First Tutoring Program, annual back pack program for students and partnering with the OMAT.
Humble beginnings
The Overseas Medical Assistance Team (OMAT) had a humble beginning in 1991. Linden-born Dr. Stephen Carryl led a group of nurses, physicians and other volunteers on a humanitarian mission to the Linden Hospital Complex in Guyana. There, the group responded to the needs of the community by conducting surgeries, medical clinics, health fairs, non-invasive screenings and wellness lectures.
OMAT currently focuses on two missions a year – to Haiti and Guyana.
Yesterday, Dr. Carryl expressed his joy and satisfaction at being able to do what he loves best– being of service to the people.
He spoke of some of the cases seen yesterday, noting that a lot of the female patients seen so far have fibroids, while quite a few others had swollen thyroids or goiter.
Alluding to the visit itself, he said that the hospital was most organized of all the times since the team has been coming. It seemed well prepared for the visit, as a list of the procedures that are expected to be done, were sent to the team about three weeks ago.
“So we came prepared. There are three categories—-general surgery, gynecology and urology.
We have Dr. Thompson here who is a urologist, so we were able to tackle urological problems in men. For example cases of men with enlarged prostate were something that in the past we couldn’t help, because we didn’t have a urologist.
“You could imagine men in their fifties who were forced to wear a foldie catheter as a treatment for their prostate problems. Some of them even had prostate cancer.”
“Now we are able to relieve those symptoms and treat those problems as well, as a team.”
Urologist Dr. Thompson, who is on his third visit, said that being here helps him to determine what is needed, in terms of equipment.
Dr. Thompson said that he had seen a lot of patients with kidney stones and pointed out that in the United States, open surgeries are not done for kidney stones, but that everything is done through a telescope, thus the need for such equipment here.
He said that he had done three biopsies, which is pretty high for the first day.
Thompson noted that in the US, three biopsies are hardly ever done in one morning.
He however posited, “We are making some progress in urology as far as OMAT is concerned.”
The doctor added that apart from age, ethnicity also plays a huge part in prostate cancer. “Just being black is a predisposing factor for prostate cancer”.
Hospital Administrator, Trevor Vangenderen, thanked the team. “If there was to be “monetary payment”, his administration would not have been able to assess it.
Councillor Rawle Friday, the acting Mayor, also thanked the team and applauded the initiative.

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