Legislation being considered for harvesting corneas – reveals GPHC CEO

May 05, 2018 News

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-as Subraj Foundation gives eye care equipment, donates corneas
The crafting of suitable legislation to facilitate the harvesting of corneas here in Guyana to undertake corneal transplants has commenced at the level of the Public Health Ministry.
This assertion was yesterday made by Chief Executive Officer [CEO] of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation [GPHC], Brigadier [Ret’d] George Lewis, as he addressed a forum in the Learning Resource Centre of the Public Hospital.
Lewis disclosed that the legislation under consideration will not only cater to the harvesting of corneas but also to other organs. But, according to Lewis, “it is important that we take our time to ensure that we have the proper legislation that will ensure management of such a system.”
Lewis’ remarks were directed to members of the George Subraj Family Foundation, which is currently here in Guyana lending eye care support, complete with the donation of nine corneal tissues for transplant.
The cornea or the clear ‘glass-window’ of the eye, refracts light and allows the entrance of light into the eye, enabling people to see. Any disorder that makes the cornea cloudy or opacified can cause severe visual impairment. Many patients who become blinded by corneal opacities or disorders can regain their sight via corneal transplants.
The Foundation has now helped to facilitate just about 71 transplants. During the course of the week, eight corneal tissues were transplanted. Another [bringing the total to 72] is planned for Monday, according to Head of Ophthalmology at the GPHC, Dr. Shailendra Sugrim.
According to Consultant Ophthalmology, Dr. Damonie Lamy, “about 60 to 70 of the patients [who have been transplanted] have been doing very well with clear corneas post transplant.”
Yesterday the Foundation also endowed the GPHC with two pieces of equipment that are expected to boost its delivery of eye care. The donated items are a Corneal Topographer and a sterilizing machine. The Corneal Topographer is an instrument that scans the cornea and aids in diagnosis of corneal diseases and in management of patients after cornea transplant surgery.
The sterilising machine, on the other hand, is expected to assist in sterilising the Corneal Microsurgical Instruments to be used during the transplant surgeries.
But while the Foundation has pledged its continued support to the GPHC, its representatives have been continually calling for the introduction of legislations which will allow Guyana to set up an eye bank and harvest its own corneas for transplant.
CEO Lewis stressed, yesterday, “I know at the level of the Ministry of [Public] Health, this matter is already under discussion…who knows, by the time you get back here we may have the legislation.”
Speaking of the need for an eye bank yesterday was Dr. George Jindal, a member of the Foundation currently visiting Guyana. According to Dr. Jindal, Guyana is well poised to not only independently do its corneal transplant but also its own harvesting.
This is in light of his disclosure that “we just wrote a publication in the World Journal of Surgeries which came out a week ago and we compared the outcome done by the US surgeons – Dr. Joe Pasternak and Steve Waller – and those done by you [local surgeons] and they are all excellent. That paper came out a week ago and it has been highlighted in the journal,” said Dr. Jindal.
But according to him, “The buzz word in global surgery or global health is sustainability…”
Dr. Jindal, moreover, explained that the Foundation has gracefully completed its task to train the local surgeons to undertake needed work and the time is now right for Guyana to become independent.
He shared his belief that Guyana is positioned to become the hub for the entire Caricom when it comes to corneal transplant. “So if you have a viable eye bank then you can get as many corneas as possible,” said Dr. Jindal as he added, “we have been lobbying for a while for a law to be passed for there to be legislative action by which the local physicians and surgeons can harvest the corneas and store them.”
Unlike other organs of the body, Dr. Jindal said that corneas suitable for transplant can be harvested 24 hours after an individual dies. This therefore means that corneas can even be harvested while a body is stored in a mortuary.
“This is unlike the kidneys [and other organs] that have to be transplanted from a living person…although that is easier it still requires legislative action,” underscored Dr. Jindal.
He revealed too that Guyana through the GPHC, with Dr. Kishore Persaud in the lead with support from the Foundation, has also been doing outstanding work in the area of kidney transplant as well.
“It is likely that Guyana will become the hub for kidney transplant as well [for the Caribbean]…I can imagine George [Subraj] looking down and encouraging us and clapping his hands,” said Dr. Jindal as he reflected on the work started by founder of the Foundation, the now departed, George Subraj.
Subraj, a Guyanese by birth, living in the United States, was regarded a philanthropist with a focus on lending support to his home land particularly in the areas of health and education. Since his demise, his family members have continued to keep his vision going.
Among the members of the visiting team in addition to Dr. Jindal are Subraj’s son Tony Subraj; Dr. Stephen Guy; Sharon Ann, Terren Orr, Mahindro ‘Jay’ Jainarine and Mr. Richard Mahase.

 

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