Aishalton District Hospital theatre operationalised –

The Aishalton District Hospital’stheatre in Region Nine (Upper Takutu–Upper Essequibo) has been operationalised after being non-functional for several years.

Twenty surgeries have been successfully conducted to date, of which, 14 were major surgeries.

They were conducted by a team from the Georgetown Public Hospital during a four-day medical outreach by the Health Ministry led by Director General, Dr Vishwa Mahadeo.

Dr Mahadeo said Aishalton residents will no longer be required to travel to Lethem or Georgetown to

20 surgeries successfully completed have their surgeries done. The Director General said, “From 2021, the current PPP/C Government took the decision that we will rebuild the theatre, we will get it back functioning so that persons, citizens living in this sub-region, they can benefit. The hospital has been renovated, is providing more services, a more modern lab with all the services that are necessary for surgeries, have a blood bank, so they have blood available, have more medicines available.” Dr Mahadeo said in 2023, mini theatres are expected to be developed at the Annai, Karasabai and Sand creek health facilities.

Aishalton was not the only community that benefitted from the medical outreach as the team visited Shulinab and Shea among other areas. Services that were taken to the people included obstetrics, gynaecology, internal medicine, ophthalmology, audiology, speech therapy, and dental services.

This is the first major medical outreach by the health ministry for 2023.

Over the past year, similar outreaches were conducted in other regions as part of President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali’s initiative of carrying services to the people.