While thousands of persons around Guyana are waiting to undergo surgery to treat cataracts at the National Ophthalmology Hospital in Port Mourant, Corentyne, Region Six’s Director of Regional Health Services Jevaughn Stephens has informed the Regional Democratic Council that a defective microscope has limited the facility’s work. As a result, only six cataract surgeries were done last month.
Regional Chairman David Armogan raised the matter at this month’s statutory meeting, held on Thursday, after citizens alerted him to their concerns.
Zamal Hussain, Chairman of the region’s Health Committee, told Armogan that he was informed that “Six cataract surgeries were done last month and the centre is working to do other surgeries beside cataract.”
Given the low number of surgeries completed, Armogan questioned whether kits to carry out the surgeries have been depleted. However, Stephens explained that there are kits.
Armogan then noted, “One doctor that I know from New Amsterdam Hospital some years ago did 56 surgeries in one week time, so I don’t understand what’s happening and I know for certain 50 to 60 people that need that surgery immediately, I can give the names”.
However, Stephens added that one of the issues the doctors are contending with is the microscope. He said presently efforts are being made to rectify the issues with the microscope and that in the proposed budget for 2020 they will request the purchase of a new microscope.
Stephens informed the council that a visiting team used the same microscope to perform a number of surgeries just recently. However, after the chairman asked why the doctors at the hospital cannot use the same microscope Stephens responded “Beats me.”
Armogan then said, “So many unanswered questions in the health sector these days.”
In addition to this, Armogan said that he was reliably informed that relative of a senior government official was taken for treatment at a health facility in the region and a surgeon on duty, who should have been performing surgeries, was supposedly instructed to “accompany the patient to Georgetown Hospital.” “He had to leave the surgeries and go down to Georgetown with the patient just because this patient got some connection with some officials,” he said.
Stephens, who was still present at the meeting at that time, did not opt to address the claim.
