Dr Vishwa D.B. Mahadeo, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana and Director General of the country’s Ministry of Public Health, along with Mr Dharamkumar Seeraj, Guyana’s High Commissioner to India, visited the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Nagpur, on Monday. The visit marked a significant step towards strengthening bilateral cooperation between the Government of Guyana and NCI in the field of cancer care. Expressing his government’s commitment to providing quality cancer care to its citizens, Dr Mahadeo said Guyana was keen to develop a comprehensive cancer care facility in the country.
Impressed by NCI’s state-of-the-art infrastructure, advanced treatment facilities, and the expertise of its clinical and non-clinical teams, he proposed seeking NCI’s technical and institutional support. “Our government wants to build a comprehensive cancer care facility in Guyana, for which collaboration with NCI would be invaluable,” said Dr Mahadeo. He added that he would place a proposal before the Guyana Government to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with NCI to strengthen the country’s national programme for sustainable and quality cancer care.
Dr Mahadeo, a surgeon, interacted with NCI’s consultants and participated in the Tumour Board meeting. Shailesh Joglekar, General Secretary and CEO of the National Cancer Institute, and Dr Anand Pathak, Medical Director of NCI, assured Dr Mahadeo and Mr Seeraj of NCI’s full cooperation. “The NCI management will extend complete support to the Government of Guyana in this important humanitarian initiative,” Joglekar said, while sharing insights into the establishment and efficient administration of NCI. Dr Pathak provided a detailed overview of NCI’s clinical services and infrastructure, explaining the systems and practices that have helped the institute evolve into a cancer care centre of international standards.