It was Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud who stated that it is best to,“Do as much as possible for the patient and as little as possible to the patient.” Putting this comprehensive concept into medical practice, Dr O’Rane Thomas, a consultant general surgeon at the May Pen Hospital (MPH), has helped to revolutionise treatment at the hospital, leading the team which performed the parish’s first laparoscopic colon surgery.
“I know it was something special, groundbreaking and historic to perform this surgery. But at the time, I could not allow myself to be overwhelmed by the moment. I am actually from May Pen. I was born at May Pen Hospital. And I’ve always been passionate about improving the standard of health care at this hospital. So what better way to do it than by introducing laparoscopic surgery,” Dr Thomas told The Sunday Gleaner.
The surgical procedure, he explained, had recently made its way to the green shores of Jamaica, but it was only available at institutions such as the University Hospital of the West Indies (UWHI) and Kingston Public Hospital (KPH). Having performed the surgery several times at the UHWI, he was excited to bring this practice to the rural community…read more