Another group of persons in dire need of treatment not available in Guyana traveled to the Max Super Specialty Hospital in New Delhi, India on Friday February 15th to be treated. These patients were Johnaton Sukhu, Alvin Ramkumar, Peter Charles, Annmarie Gomes, Johnaton Newton, Kumarie Khuserran, Tajpaul Persaud, Tana Nandalal, Adrian Persaud, Ciara Stanislaus, and one adult.

Patients and their mothers post-surgery on the way home to Guyana

The group received treatment for a variety of medical conditions. Five patients underwent open heart surgery, while two had eye surgeries and one brain and liver surgery. The others were treated for kidney ailments and skin disease. They spent three weeks in Delhi.

This mission, like all others, was made possible through the generous donors to the Three Rivers Kids Foundation, a registered charitable organization in Toronto.

13 patients were originally scheduled to go on this mission. However, two patients – Farad Mohammed age three, and Pholmaitie Singh age seven, needed urgent medical attention and could not wait to travel with the group. Farad and Pholmaitie were sent to the Hospital on January 7. Both children underwent open heart at Max Hospital. Mohammed, who underwent a BT shunt, made a marvelous recovery, and will be returning to Guyana on February 17. However, little Pholmaitie Singh was not that lucky. She died on February 4 at age seven, weighing 25 pounds.

This was Pholmaitie’s third open heart surgery. She was suffering from a very complex form of congenital heart disease – Tetralogy of Fallot and pulmonary Atresia. She underwent a very high risk, total correction surgery on January 22. Prior to this, these patients had frequented the Georgetown Hospital for a few months.

The projected cost for this mission for all 13 patients is US$166,500, including return airfares for all the patients and their mothers.

Since 2005, the Three Rivers Kids Foundation has successfully helped over 100 patients from Guyana obtain life-saving surgery in India.

“The Foundation would like to thank all those who donated time and money to make this possible. In particular, we would like to thank the Ministry of Health of Guyana, Stephanie Green from Caribbean Airways in Georgetown and Mr. Bob Borrow, also sincere gratitude also to all our Canadian donors.