The latest arrivals in the China Medical Brigade, numbering 14, met Minister of Health, Dr Leslie Ramsammy on Monday, ahead of being assigned to two major hospitals.

During their two-year stint, they will be posted at Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) and Linden Hospital Complex.

Ten of them will be in the city, among them one histopathologist, one microbiologist, one plastic surgeon and one acupuncturist.

A general surgeon, a paediatrician, an obstetrician/gynaecologist and an anaesthetist are going to Linden, Ramsammy told a Press conference.

He said there are very experienced specialists in the group, particularly in the fields of orthopaedic and plastic surgery.

Minister Ramsammy said the presence of the plastic surgeon would be very meaningful as GPH seeks to put its recently established Burns Centre to full use, following the installation of equipment for the official opening in August.

He said he would be very gratified to see the plastic surgeon on staff at GPH assisting with operations at the Burns Clinic.

Ramsammy announced that a local GPH surgeon will be leaving for Canada next week to undergo training, specificially on how to operate the Burns Clinic.

“We are heartened to know that our Burns Clinic would be opened up with all the modern equipment and we would have people around to help get it going,” he stated.

The minister pointed out that, every year, there has been improvement in health care delivery, although all the problems in the sector have not been overcome, for medical care to reach the desired level.

Ramsammy said he envisages that future cooperation between the Governments of China and Guyana will continue to be important for the achievement.

He said, since the pact was inked in March 1993, a total of 39 Chinese doctors in four teams have served this country, inclusive of six surgeons, eight anaesthetists, four physicians, three acupuncturists, five gynaecologists, four ophthalmologists, four radiologists, two hematologists, two pathologists and one paediatrician.

Ambassador of China to Guyana, Mr Song Tao said, through the diligent and professional work of Chinese doctors, the best efforts have been made in promoting friendly cooperation between the two countries.

“In keeping with our promise to provide excellent, qualified and experienced medical personnel to assist in the delivery of health care in Guyana, my Government has carefully chosen the members of the medical team and these doctors among us are the brightest ones in the department back in China,” the envoy asserted.

He said this team will provide service in four new areas, plastic surgery, Ears, Nose and Throat (ENT) surgery, microbiology and histopathology.

The diplomat said, over the past two years, Chinese doctors have assessed and managed approximately 25,000 out-patients, 5,700 in-patients and 1,900 emergency cases, performed about 1,700 surgeries and compiled 1,900 histopathology diagnoses.

Song said he is very proud of the positive contribution his Government has been making to health care in Guyana.

He said China, as a developing country, always attaches great importance to South-South cooperation and stands ready to help other developing countries.

The ambassador said China started to send medical personnel to developing countries since 1963 and about 1,100 doctors are currently working in 41 countries, mainly in Africa.

Those here are the only Chinese medical professionals in South America, he disclosed.

Song said, besides cooperating on health, China and Guyana have a long history also in the economic field and a number of projects have been accomplished locally, including Moco Moco hydropower station at Lethem, Rupununi in Region Nine (Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo), Sanata Textile Mill in the city and the Bel-Lu claybrick factory at West Bank Demerara in Region Three (West Demerara/Essequibo Islands).