Dr Carla Reid is an ophthalmologist at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) who is among nine Guyanese doctors preparing to undertake three months of advanced medical training in China.
Dr Reid has worked in the field for the past five years and is excited for the exposure, which she believes will help her strengthen her clinical and surgical skills.
The doctors are expected to undergo training in Jiangsu, China, from September to December 2026. The programme is part of the ongoing health cooperation between Guyana and China, with emphasis on strengthening the skills and capacity of local healthcare professionals.
Speaking with the Department of Public Information (DPI) on Tuesday, the eye specialist said she wants to make a difference when she returns.
“I’ll be able to share that knowledge with my colleagues, with other healthcare professionals, especially at a health centre setting, so that we can improve screening for patients with ophthalmological conditions,” she said.
Medical Officer attached to the Pathology Department, Dr Rolan Persaud plans to use his training to strengthen knowledge-sharing within the pathology department through teaching, presentations and the dissemination of information to colleagues.
He said the exposure to pathology practices outside Guyana will broaden his understanding of diagnostic and teaching methods and allow him to bring new ideas back to the local healthcare system.
“Basically, what I would like to get out of this training in China is to broaden my perspectives and experience within pathology being done outside of the country, to learn from those experiences and then translate them back to my colleagues,” Dr Persaud said.
Moreover, he described the programme as an important opportunity to advance medical care and improve the quality of services available to Guyanese.
The other participants include Dr Shazad Hussain; Dr Joseph Torres; Dr Tiffany Fiedtkou; Dr Obadelle Thorne; Dr Randell Collins; and Dr Ranvir Gajraj.
At a simple ceremony on Tuesday, GPHC’s Chief Executive Officer, Robbie Rambarran, thanked the Chinese government, the Chinese medical team, and Sinoc Petroleum Guyana Limited for supporting the initiative, noting that the partnership has also contributed medical supplies, equipment and technical expertise to Guyana’s health sector.
In her brief remarks, Chinese Ambassador to Guyana HE Yang Yang noted that the latest cohort builds on years of cooperation. She highlighted the continued provision of medical training opportunities, including seven Guyanese doctors who completed residency training in China last year.