The Ministry of Health and the United States have signed a technical agreement for corneal transplantation and cataract surgery training which will help ease the backlog of patients currently on a waiting list.Chief medical officer Dr Anton Cumberbatch gave Health Minister Therese Baptiste-Cornelis his assurance that within a year, there would be a reduction in the number of patients awaiting surgery."We expect that by the use of this technique...low-cost technique, to target head-on the backlog of cataract surgeries in the pubic sector," Cumberbatch said.
"So we are telling ourselves that over the next 12 months we are going to make a serious dent with this procedure together with the concentration across the Regional Health Authorities to reduce the waiting list for cataract surgery."He was speaking at a news conference hosted by the Health Ministry yesterday at its Park Street office in Port-of-Spain.The agreement allows the US to provide a Subject Matter Expert Exchange (SMEE) workshop on corneal transplantation and small incision cataract surgery starting next Monday to Wednesday at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC).
World-renowned expert Dr Geoff Tabin will conduct a demonstration to local opthamologists, optometrists, doctors and nurses and other medical professionals.Already, two transplants have been conducted last month at the EWMSC and three are expected to be done next week.Tabin will lead a local team comprising Drs Anil Armoogum and Ronnie Bhola who travelled to Nepal, India, last year where they received training from Tabin.US Ambassador to T&T Beatrice Welters said in 2008, Major General (Dr) Chang of the US Army 807th medical command, through the US Embassy, began discussions to reduce the backlog of surgeries.
Welters said: "Drs Bhola and Armoogum, having acquired this unique skill set and in a collaborative effort with Dr Tabin and General Chang, provided the opportunity to perfect the existing surgical model in order to increase local capacity for cataract surgeries, reduce the existing patient backlog and ultimately establish T&T's Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex as a 'Centre of Excellence' for advanced eye care throughout the region."