Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) patients can now look forward to accessing laser treatment for kidney stones with the procurement of a laser lithotripter worth a total of $25,280,705.
A release from the GPHC today said that using laser lithotripsy offers a completely non-invasive approach – no incision is required to treat patients with kidney stones who once required major surgery.
“This technique uses a high intensity laser beam to pulverize stones through an endoscope. Patients who are eligible for laser treatment not only benefit from a non-invasive procedure, but may have shorter recovery times and hospital stays, allowing them to resume their regular routines earlier. This service is free of cost and is being offered for the first time in the public healthcare sector, the release said.
The GPHC noted that kidney stones affect 10% of the population during their lifetime and places a significant burden on the healthcare system.
“Almost 50% of the workload of the Urology Department is related to kidney stone disease. Using this modern laser technology, stone surgery is performed using a camera in the urinary tract. There is no cut or scar on the abdomen and the patient is discharged, in most cases, on the same day. Traditionally, with open surgery, people had a large scar on the abdomen, spent days in hospital and required 1-2 months of recuperation”, the release added.
The Urology Department and the GPHC’s Administration considers the provision of this service as a significant advancement in the Corporation’s commitment to provide the people of Guyana with modern healthcare services comparable with the best in the world, the release said.
Dr. Rajendra Sukhraj, Specialist Urological Surgeon expressed gratitude to the hospital’s CEO, Robbie Rambarran, and his team, “for their confidence and commitment to providing healthcare that is second to none by taking the leap and bringing this technology to GPHC since it is long overdue”.