For families anxiously waiting for their children to receive life-saving heart surgery, relief is on the horizon as the Government prepares to offer the specialised procedures right here in Guyana within the next two months. President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali announced that the Ministry of Health has been given a two-month deadline to prepare for paediatric cardiac surgeries using the country’s newly acquired robotic surgical technology, ensuring children no longer have to travel overseas for treatment. Addressing a large gathering at the commissioning of the new Ministry of Health drug bond in Region Two Friday last, President Ali said the Ministry has been instructed to compile the names of all children who are medically ready for surgery so that treatment can begin as quickly as possible.

“We have invested in the latest robotic technology, and I said to the Minister that every child that requires cardiac surgery and is ready for that surgery…that list must be compiled, each case must be filed, and that we must be prepared in two months to have those surgeries done here in Guyana,” President Ali stated. The initiative is expected to significantly ease the financial and emotional burden on families, as the surgeries, which can cost as much as US$150,000 overseas, will be provided free of charge through Government funding. President Ali said the Government will also bring in specialised cardiac teams to work alongside local medical professionals as efforts intensify to eliminate the backlog of children awaiting surgery, particularly babies and infants. The announcement marks another milestone in the Government’s drive to transform Guyana’s healthcare system by expanding access to advanced, world-class medical services locally.

It also advances plans announced in 2024 to provide cardiac surgeries for more than 150 children. During the landmark procedure, renowned cardiac surgeon Dr Sudhir Srivastava remotely performed surgery on a patient in India using the SSI Mantra 3 robotic surgical system while operating from Guyana.