Local doctors transform 28 lives in three days

The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) has completed 28 joint replacement surgeries in three days, surpassing its target in the latest phase of a national effort to reduce the backlog of orthopaedic cases.

Between November 7 and 9, GPHC’s Orthopaedic Department, led by Dr Kaaleshwar Ramcharran, performed 18 knee and 10 hip replacements on 22 women and six men. The operations, which would cost up to $2.5 million privately, were done free of charge.

The procedures bring the total number of joint replacements at GPHC this year to 136, all conducted by Guyanese specialists — signalling growing national capacity for advanced surgical care.

Ramcharran said the initiative was about transforming lives, noting that many patients had suffered chronic pain and mobility challenges for years. All 28 patients have since been discharged and are recovering under post-operative supervision.

Hospital officials commended the orthopaedic team for its dedication and reaffirmed plans to sustain high-volume surgical interventions to improve access to specialist healthcare across Guyana.