The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) yesterday announced that it had completed eight open-heart surgeries on children ages 1 to 17.
In a release the GPHC announced the successful com-pletion of the second Paediatric Cardiac Mission for 2024, with the final two patients discharged yesterday. The mission began on August 3rd.
The mission opened with a screening clinic where eligible patients were selected for surgery based on the urgency of their condition. The release said that priority was given to those in critical need of surgical intervention, provided they were healthy enough to undergo the procedure without added risk. After careful assessment, eight patients were chosen to receive open-heart surgeries, the hospital said.
“We are proud to report that all eight surgeries were successful, and all patients have been discharged from our facilities. They will continue to receive follow-up care through routine clinic visits as part of their ongoing recovery process”, the release said.
The GPHC said that this mission was made possible through the collaborative efforts of the visiting international team from Gift of Life International, which included surgeons, anaesthetists, perfusionists, intensivists, respiratory therapist, and operating room and intensive care nurses.
“Our local medical team worked alongside them, ensuring that all patients received the highest standard of care before, during, and after their surgeries. This mission was a compre-hensive effort, with all hospital departments playing crucial supporting roles”, the release said.
In addition to the complex and routine surgical interventions performed, the mission also focused on building local capacity. Training and teaching sessions were conducted for local medical staff.
The GPHC said that a third mission is planned for December 2024.
