GPHC embarks on collaborative efforts to advance health care services
The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) recently hosted Professor Kurt McCammon of Eastern Virginia Medical School – a world-renowned leader in reconstructive urology – along with world-renowned corneal surgeon Dr Lloyd Williams from Duke University in North Carolina, USA, in efforts to improve access to advanced health care in Guyana through training with well-known medical practitioners.
Dr Williams leads the Duke Global Ophthalmology (Duke GO) Programme, which is focused on giving people around the world access to sight-saving surgeries and training young eye specialists to deliver quality care
According to the GPHC, Dr Williams arrived in the country on July 13, 2025, and worked closely with GPHC’s Dr Celeste Hinds and other local team members in the Department of Ophthalmology during a packed three-day medical mission.
Together, they performed 14 corneal transplant surgeries and provided hands-on training for our local eye doctors.
GPHC first introduced corneal transplant surgery back in 2016 through a partnership with the George Subraj Foundation. That effort helped 99 patients regain their sight by 2021. It also made it possible for people to get this surgery in Guyana instead of having to travel overseas.
Health Minister Frank Anthony, along with Dr Williams and others, in front of the Vision Centre at GPHC
Like many other services, this programme was delayed during the COVID-19 pandemic, but, the GPHC noted, it is now back on track and pushing forward with the goal to rebuild a strong, ongoing corneal transplant programme and to work toward setting up a local eye bank here in Guyana.
The new partnership with Duke Global Ophthalmology is a major step in that direction and won’t be a one-time visit, it assured, adding that this is the start of a long-term collaboration to build local skills, improve patient care, and make sure more Guyanese have access to the gift of sight.
The collaboration aims to improve access to advanced urological care for Guyanese
For the first time in Guyana, a special type of surgery called DMEK (Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty) was done at GPHC.
According to the GPHC, it’s a more advanced and delicate type of corneal transplant that only replaces the damaged layer of the cornea, helping to speed up recovery and improve results.
Similarly, during the surgical urology workshop with Professor McCammon, several patients benefitted from complex, life-changing procedures.
Just as importantly, the GPHC local team of urological surgeons and trainees gained invaluable hands-on experience, learning directly from a global expert in the field.
The GPHC says that it is investing in training local doctors, bringing in global experts, and creating more opportunities for Guyanese to receive life-changing treatments
Dr Rajendra Sukhraj, Head of the Urology Section, expressed heartfelt gratitude to Professor McCammon for his continued humanitarian efforts and dedication to surgical education in the Caribbean.
The GPHC stated that it is investing in training local doctors, bringing in global experts, and creating more opportunities for people to receive life-changing treatments in Guyana.
