U.S. Military Medical team commences two-week medical mission

DURING February 20 through March 3, the United States’ Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team (LAMAT), in collaboration with Guyana’s Ministry of Health, will engage in knowledge exchanges, perform surgical operations, provide dental services, and conduct professional knowledge exchanges as part of the American. Southern Command’s (USSOUTHCOM’s) Enduring Promise mission.

According to the U.S. Embassy in Guyana, LAMAT is a medical team comprising approximately 29 U.S. Air Force and Army medical and dental professionals and support staff who will provide free general surgery, emergency room care will work with local doctors to ensure continuity of care following all surgical procedures. The team brings with the Ministry of Health and U.S. Ambassador to Guyana to participate in this much-needed operation,” and dental care at Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation and West Demerara Regional Hospital.

Dr. Veronica Griffith, Ministry of Health Deputy Director for Regional Health Services, welcomed the team at GPHC.

Dr. Griffith expressed excitement about developing the military-civilian partnership between the U.S. team and the medical professionals in Guyana.

LAMAT operations have been coordinated with the Ministry of Health and hospital medical directors to take advantage of additional operating room capacity without displacing medical providers.

U.S. medical professionals it the medicines and supplies necessary for the operations and will leave surplus supplies with the hospital. Overall, approximately $US225,000 of supplies are being donated to medical facilities.

Medical patients are selected in coordination with hospital medical directors based upon the types of surgeries and procedures the U.S. medical team is certified to perform, primarily GI surgeries such as hernias and cyst excisions. The U.S. dental team will focus on treating underserved populations, concentrating on cleaning, fillings, extractions, and preventative care.

“My team is humbled to have been invited by said Lt. Col. Gentry Mobley, LAMAT Mission Commander. “It is important to the U.S. to provide whatever help we can to take care of people in need. Our team is prepared to engage in Guyana, whether that be in the operating theater, the dental clinic, helping with emergency room or experiencing the culture.”

In addition to Guyana, the LAMAT team completed operations in Suriname and will proceed to St. Lucia to conduct medical assistance operations, providing relief to overwhelmed medical facilities and improving the region’s collective ability to meet complex global challenges.

Amsterdam, Allicock among winners for Guyana

THE large and raucous crowd created a fantastic atmosphere on Sunday night for the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA)’s McDonald Promotions Patrick Ford Memorial International Boxing card at the National Gymnasium.

When the dust settled, most of the fans left the venue just after midnight, satisfied that they had gotten their money’s worth, as Guyana once again proved that it is the cradle of boxing in the English-speaking Caribbean, dominating the card which saw pugilists from T&T, Barbados and St. Lucia in hot contention for the coveted title.

In the feature bout of the night, 30-year-old light heavyweight ‘dynamite’, Desmond Amsterdam was clinical in his destruction of Trinidadian

Nickelle Joseph.

The National Sports Commission (NSC) and GBA Boxer of the Year controlled the fight as he made Joseph resort to his ultra-aggressive style of fighting instead of ‘boxing’. His opponent, who threw punches in bunches, hurt his man with powerful right hooks to head.

A left jab was followed by a right cross to the head, which staggered Joseph, causing the referee to administer a standing eight-count.

Joseph, who insisted on trading punches with Amsterdam, was again on the receiving end, resulting in his receiving another standing eight-count.

The second round saw the ‘Trini’ changing tactics and moving out of range of the soldier’s heavy artillery.

Joseph tried to counterpunch, but was hit with a right to the mid-section, resulting in the referee stopping the fight in two minutes and 58 seconds of the round, much to delight of the crowd, which included his wife.

“It feels great to fight in front of this large crowd; I changed my plan to suit the way he was fighting,” explained Amsterdam, who became the first Guyanese to win cash when he won Bronze at the Americas Boxing Confederation (AMBC) Elite Championships in Ecuador.

In the penultimate bout of the night, 23-year-old Olympian Keevin Allicock, fighting in the featherweight division, faced-off against T&T’s Anthony Joseph, whom he had previously beaten at the CAC Games.

In the first round, Allicock connected with an overhand right to bring Joseph to his knees early in the round, before a lightning- fast four-punch combination resulted in the ‘Trini’ getting his second standing eight-count.

Joseph, showing his willingness to counterpunch, hit Allicock a few times before he was floored again, but this time the referee deemed it a slip from water on the canvas.

The second round saw Allicock going toe-to-toe with the Guyanese, a 2017 Silver Medallist at the Commonwealth Youth Games, breaching Joseph’s defence, and resulting in another eight-count.

In the final round, a wicked ‘one-two’ followed by an uppercut hurt Joseph, who employed the tactic of hugging his oppo- nent for dear life.

In the final stages of the fight, Allicock, whose fiancée was paying rapt attention, was hit a couple of times to his face as he pushed for a knockout, but Joseph refused to quit as the Guyanese won by a unanimous verdict.

“It’s good to see the fans coming out in their numbers, since that could inspire the home boxer. He (Joseph) has improved a bit, since I think he is sparring with good fighters,” Allicock said, adding that he will now focus on the South American Games and World Championships.

“I thank God, the Sports Ministry, the GBA and my sponsor. I have signed a six-month sponsorship agreement with MVP Sports for the development of my boxing career,” he said in closing.

Brian Harris, who won the triple crown at the Terrence Ali National Open, stopped Trinidadian Jaden Castellano in two minutes 57 seconds of the second round, while Jullius Kesney beat Barbados’ Sean Shepherd.

Joel Williamson, who took some good shots to his head, was beaten by Barbados’ Jeremiah Toussaint to become the only Guyanese to lose on the opening night.

In the female division, the Jackman siblings (Alisha & Abiola) both registered knockouts; Alesha fired a four-punch combination to stun ‘Trini’ Shawnelle Hamid as the fight ended in 58 seconds, while Abiola knocked out Bajan Kamara Stuart in two minutes and 50 seconds of the second round. St. Lucian lass Nikaela Khordra got in a few solid shots, but failed to follow-up and lost to Trini Leeann Boodram.

In the local bouts, the crowd, which included World Masters Squash Champion Nicolette Fernandes, Caribbean Squash Queen Ashley Khalil, former world female Boxing champion Shondell Alfred, former boxers and politicians, watched as VBG’s Glaston Winter beat RHJ’s Roopesh Balgobin; Shaquan Marshall of VBG beat RHJ’s Curtis McDonald; Mark Crawford from FYF beat Policeman Clifton Graham; and RHJ’s Jamal Eastman defeated FYF’s Patrick Harvey.