Prior to my arrival in Guyana, I had the opportunity to spend a considerable amount of time with one of the Guyanese EM residents when they visited Vanderbilt. In one of our discussions, he brought up a fact that surprised me: the majority of Guyanese in the world do not reside in Guyana. Instead, they are scattered throughout North America, namely New York and Toronto. Only 10-20 percent of his family, for instance, remained in the nation, with the rest living in one of New York’s five boroughs. When I asked him if he would eventual join them in the US, he said no. His colleagues, however, had a much different approach.

After being here, I can understand why that sentiment exists. Guyana is a nation in flux. On one hand, it is quite modern; many people have cell phones, the Internet is widely available (I had WiFi in the middle of a rainforest), and the dissemination of information can occur rapidly and quickly (via Facebook, or other methods). Many of the excesses of our time are at the fingertips of a large portion of the population, especially in Georgetown. Unfortunately, it seems luxury has outpaced necessity, with the end-result being a palpable level of frustration.

This is quite evident in the sphere of healthcare. The physicians here harbor much of the same knowledge and skills that we possess and they know what interventions are needed to treat the most complicated of medical or trauma patients. However, they have very limited resources in terms of pharmaceuticals, imaging, and surgical support to adequately treat the conditions they see. I’ve only been here a few days and I have often felt handcuffed. I can’t imagine how hard it is on the local staff to feel constrained to that degree all the time. When faced with the options of either staying home and going through the growing pains (which may take decades and is by no means guaranteed), or moving to a place (the US or Canada) that has already arrived and that boasts a seemingly thriving ‘local’ Guyanese community, the decision to stay can seem illogical. This is probably why many young, educated folks, especially doctors, leave, which in turn only serves to delay progression further. It’s a detrimental dynamic.

The doctor who visited me at Vanderbilt says he’ll stay in Guyana. Being a part of the construction of not just the specialty of Emergency Medicine but of his nation is something he cannot leave. It’s a brave stance to take, and I genuinely think the new residency program in Emergency Medicine will help him avoid succumbing to the temptation to leave. For me, I am honored to be able to help support this institution, even though it’s in a very minor way.

In the end, while it’s a baby step, it’s still a step, and they will eventually add up. 

Andrew Pfeffer headshot