US medical team performed close to 500 surgeries, including life- changing operation

The United States (US) Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team (LAMAT) 2025 has concluded a two-week mission in Guyana, providing critical medical services to over 1,700 citizens and performing nearly 500 surgeries across five major health facilities.

The team, comprising US Air Force and Army medical personnel, operated from March 31 to April 11, delivering medical, surgical, ophthalmological and dental care to Guyanese patients. The services were provided at the Port Mourant Hospital, the New Amsterdam Regional Hospital, the West Demerara Regional Hospital, the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation and the Cheddi Jagan Dental School.

Over the course of their mission, the team treated 1,721 patients and completed 480 surgeries, including a life-changing eye surgery on a two-month-old baby, allowing the infant to see for the first time.

On Friday, President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali hosted the visiting medical experts at a luncheon at State House to mark the conclusion of the mission. He praised the team for their contribution to Guyana’s health sector and the broader impact of their work.

“It is about a mission leaving knowledge, which is the most important tool of transformation. Infusing that knowledge with us and our local capacity here is something we must not take lightly in this mission,” President Ali said.

Highlighting the success of the eye surgery performed on the infant, he added, “I want to say you have left this one significant piece of history that is a first here in Guyana. That should be applauded and I want to thank you for that.”

President Ali said the LAMAT initiative went beyond healthcare, fostering cultural understanding and enhancing bilateral ties between Guyana and the US.

“That is what working together and building long-lasting friendship is about,” he stated.

The president also acknowledged the evolution of defence cooperation between the two countries, which now includes humanitarian initiatives and people-to-people connections, and contributes to national development and mutual understanding.

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony noted the expanded geographic reach of this year’s mission.

“We are extremely pleased by this connection and this cooperation that we have seen, but more importantly, the friendships that would have been built over the last two weeks. This has helped to foster good relationships, a person-to-person relationship,” he said.

Unlike the first LAMAT mission, which focused primarily on Georgetown, the 2025 deployment extended services to Regions Three and Six, including facilities in New Amsterdam and Port Mourant.

US Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Adrienne Galanek thanked the Guyanese people and the government for their hospitality, adding that the mission reflects a broader US commitment to strengthening health cooperation with Guyana.

The closing event also featured remarks from Guyana’s Chief of Defence Staff Brigadier Omar Khan and Commander of the US 22nd Air Force, Major General Melissa Coburn.

This marks the second LAMAT mission to Guyana, and notably, the first military-to-military medical engagement between the two nations. (Rewritten from DPI)

US medical team attends to a patient