Last Updated on Sunday, 1 March 2026, 19:09 by Writer
President Irfaan Ali on Saturday announced that Guyana would soon be conducting robotic surgeries.
“We are going full robotics. No turning back. There are some simple surgeries that can be done through robotics that will save us from the human fatigue,” he told the opening of the Dr. Balwant Singh’s Hospital’s outpatient pavilion and the East Street promenade in Georgetown.
The President said he informed Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony and a team he met earlier on Saturday that his government urgently wants to introduce robotic surgeries to Guyana. “We want to be the first country maybe in the Western Hemisphere to have a transatlantic surgery performed through robotics here in Guyana and I’ve already set that challenge to the team,” said Ali.
The Mayo Clinic explains that robotic surgery allows surgeons to increase precision, flexibility and control during delicate and complex procedures that may be difficult or impossible with other methods.
Robotic surgery often is done through tiny openings in the skin and other tissues.
The President also said that artificial intelligence (AI)-powered systems would be used for efficient drug supply chain management to reduce waste and shortages.
He also said an integrated platform for medical supplies, including medicines, would be introduced to do more than just buying and selling. “We want to create the framework here where we will manufacture for the rest of the Caribbean. We’re going to play in every sphere of the ecosystem,” he said.
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM), with assistance from the European Union, has for several years now been working on a regional project for the manufacture of medicines and vaccines in Guyana and Barbados.
The EU is facilitating the project through Lithuania.
Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer of Balwant Singh Hospital, Dr Madhu Singh said doctors at the six-storey outpatient pavillion were already seeing about 400 patients daily.
She said the first floor offers comprehensive women’s services, the second floor to dermatology and the cosmetic laser center, the third floor to ophthalmology and the optical center, the fourth floor general surgical and medical outpatient services, and the fifth floor features a state-of-the-art in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) center.
“Recognizing that different patient demographics have distinct health care needs, we structured the building to house each specialty within its own dedicated area,” she explained.
