Local doctors to train in Brazil as Gov’t aims to reduce transplant testing cost

As part of efforts to strengthen the country’s transplant and organ donation programme and reduce the hefty US$3,000 cost, local doctors will soon be sent to Brazil for specialised training.

Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony on Wednesday, on the sidelines of an event, highlighted this major step to reduce the cost of compatibility testing for kidney transplants, a procedure usually done overseas. The minister’s remarks follow a recent engagement with a high-level delegation from Brazil’s Ministry of Health and the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC).

Through a new partnership with the Government of Brazil, Guyana will establish its first Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) laboratory, allowing these critical tests to be conducted locally.

“We have already purchased all the equipment and are now arranging for our staff to train in Brazil.

“Once the lab becomes operational, it will not only save us money but could also serve other countries in the Caribbean,” the Health Minister said.

The collaboration will also help Guyana move beyond living donor transplants to include deceased donor kidney transplants, significantly expanding the country’s medical capacity. Doctors will travel as soon as early 2026, the minister said.

Brazil’s transplant centers are among the busiest in the region, performing up to seven transplants a day. Dr. Anthony said the hands-on experience there will give Guyanese doctors invaluable exposure to advanced techniques.

“Many of the other transplant programmes in the Caribbean would want to send their HLA samples for us to review so this is building capacity not only for Guyana but for the rest of the Caribbean,” Dr Antony said.

Over the two-day mission, the Brazilian delegation visited key medical institutions, including the Nephrology and Transplantation Departments and the Central Medical Laboratory at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

An action plan that outlines specific activities and timelines to close identified gaps within the national transplant system is also expected to follow.