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Pres Ali assures of world-class healthcare system in 7 years

…as National Medical Scientific Council to be established – Guyana now offers revolutionary stem cell services at Woodlands Hospital

In a move that revolutionises healthcare in Guyana, the Woodlands Hospital on Saturday launched its stem cell services and immunotherapy – becoming the first in the country to offer such ground-breaking medical technology to the population.

Managing Director of the Woodlands Hospital, Dr Neville Gobin said this new service revolutionises the treatment of cancer and other chronic diseases.

According to Mayo Clinic, stem cells can be guided into becoming specific cells that can be used in people to regenerate and repair tissues that have been damaged or affected by the disease.

People who might benefit from stem cell therapies include those with spinal cord injuries, type 1 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, stroke, burns, cancer and osteoarthritis.

Stem cells may have the potential to be grown to become new tissue for use in transplant and regenerative medicine.

Consultant on Internal Medicine at the Woodlands Hospital, Dr Pramod Tempe – during the launching ceremony – shared his personal experience of using this modern medical technology. The doctor noted that he suffered from an illness that caused him to be “partially handicapped” and experience incredible pain in his spinal area.

However, after accessing stem cell services – wherein stem cells from his bone marrow were injected into his spine – he benefitted from significant relief.

“Today, I am standing in front of you without pain and almost disease-free,” Dr Tempe noted. And these are the type of services that Woodlands Hospital will now be offering to the public.

World-class healthcare

However, President Dr Irfaan Ali – delivering feature remarks at the event – described the institution’s new venture as “bold and innovative”, noting that the public healthcare system has to play a supportive role in these types of medical undertakings.

Noting that stem cell services are highly effective when there are early diagnostics, President Ali posited that, “the public healthcare system must be able to support diagnostics in a very early stage…once that occurs, the science must now be implemented at that early stage.”

“The systemic approach must provide the pathway in which the science is applied at the early stage.”

The Head of State shared some of the initiatives that the Government is embarking upon to ensure the healthcare sector is modernised, including the introduction of telemedicine which has resulted in two lives already being saved.

According to President Ali, by 2030, Guyana will offer healthcare services that are internationally recognised.

“In the next seven years, we are not trying to, by the grace and help of God, in the next seven years we are building in Guyana, a first world healthcare system for our citizens and a healthcare system that is fit for purpose and one that will provide global healthcare services for the rest of the world. Mark this night,” the Guyanese leader declared.

“There is no rest in this sector in getting it to where we want to be.”

Moreover, he said as more and more innovations take place in the sector, he called in financial and medical specialists as well as policymakers to start discussions on modern health insurance plans.

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