Guyana’s cardiovascular disease mortality rate is among the highest in the region and efforts to properly treat associated diseases were expanded on Monday when the George Subraj Family Foundation donated $209 million to support research and training.
The philanthropic work of the foundation is highly commended at the government level. This donation to Northwell Health Center, a non-profit healthcare provider, will fund their ability to provide cardiological care for Guyanese in Guyana and the United States of America. It will allow healthcare professionals attached at the Georgetown Public Hospital and those across the public healthcare system to become trained in the United States and bring their new skills to the local healthcare system.
President Dr Irfaan Ali; Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony; Vice President for the Centre for Global Health, Northwell Health, Dr. Eric Cioe Peno; Vice Chairman of Northwell Health, Dr. Rajiv Jauhar; Chief Executive Officer of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, Robbie Rambarran; and the United States of America Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot, were among those present at the ceremony held at the Guyana Marriott Hotel on Monday.
President Dr Irfaan Ali at the event (Photo: News Room/ April 7, 2025)
Tony Subraj, who represented the Subraj family and the Foundation, said this is a landmark investment for the country’s development.
“Together we are investing in something Guyana and the Guyanese diaspora never had. A first of its kind study focused on the causes and outcomes of heart disease in our community,” Subraj said.
Guyana’s healthcare is undergoing a massive transformation with huge investments from private and public investors. As it relates to the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, the government is working to strengthen treatment options and detection of associated diseases. P
resident Ali, in brief remarks, said it is important that persons living with these diseases are able to receive treatment locally and undergo early detection and access to education about health risks.
“We need to improve the quality and accessibility of cardiac care, because too often, patients either go untreated or forced to seek expensive treatment overseas if they cannot afford it at all, but even more importantly, we need to go beyond the outcome and address the cause,” the President said.
Meanwhile, Dr. Jauhar said the Northwell Health Centre for Global Health is committed to its work in Guyana and the important contributions the team has made toward Guyana’s healthcare system. He said the Caribbean and the indo-Guyanese population in particular are increasingly impacted by cardiovascular diseases.
“We can change and modify the risk factors like diets, exercise, high blood pressure, diabetes, stress reduction, these are all things that we can [pay attention to and change],” Dr. Jauhar said.
There are several risk factors that significantly contribute to the likelihood of a person having heart disease. This collaboration between the private and public sectors will create lifesaving medical care.
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