Young doctor aiming to provide affordable neurological services to Guyanese

Of all the body systems, damage to the nervous system can be arguably the most devastating. While the nervous system’s inner workings are intricate, neurologists have devoted their lives to understanding it.

But here in Guyana, there aren’t many neurologists, and as such, patients are left to pay exorbitant costs to complete simple procedures. However, there is hope. 

One doctor who has been working exceedingly to provide affordable neurological services to Guyanese is Dr. Jason Ramcharan. Dr. Ramcharan said that he desires to serve Guyana with excellence and humility. 

Ramcharan was born on Sunday the 16th of September 1990 at the Medical Arts Centre to parents Elizabeth McAdam-Ramcharan and Raymond Ramcharan. He grew up with his two other sisters at Independence Boulevard, La Penitence, Georgetown. 

He attended the Selmon Fraser Nursery School, where he graduated as the top student and was placed at the West Ruimveldt Primary. In 2002, he wrote the then Secondary Entrance Assessment (SEA) and was awarded a spot at St. Stanislaus College. 

The 30-year-old relayed that he was initially disappointed that he got St. Stanislaus College, but noted that it was there, he was able to find his identity and made lifelong friends.  Jason described his childhood as a “memorable” one, as he was actively involved in sports. 

I had a very good childhood, most of my memories would include playing cricket with my sisters, cousin, and the neighbors, and when I wasn’t outside playing cricket then I was mostly inside watching cricket, especially when our Guyanese heroes, Chanderpaul and Sarwan were playing for West Indies. My favorite childhood memories would be around Christmas time, when we would decorate and spend time together as a family, looking at Christmas movies.

 Dr. Ramcharan disclosed that from a very young age, he always wanted to become a doctor. In fact, he stated that he and his older sister pretended that they were doctors and nurses at one point. 

My older sister and I used to pretend that we were doctors and nurses, and today she is an excellent Registered nurse. My great grandmother and great aunt used to live with us, and I remember always being excited to come home from school to help rub their feet and look after them in a way I could have. In 1998, my great aunt passed away, and my great-grandmother in 2010, one day after I returned to Cuba.

He wrote the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) in 2007 and obtained passes in (9) nine subjects. Right after, he proceeded to pursue an Associate Degree in Biology at the University of Guyana but had to withdraw from the course due to financial constraints. 

This prompted him to apply for a scholarship to study at Escuela Latinoamericana de Medicina (ELAM) in Cuba. He got the scholarship and later departed Guyana’s shore at 18-year-old. The young man explained that it was very challenging studying in Cuba, given the fact that he had to learn a new language. He noted that it did not take him long to adapt. 

He added that some of the Christian students from various denominations came together to form a church group named ‘Joshua’s Generation: Jogen.’ He noted that Jogen became a safe place for him, especially on days when he felt like giving up. 

“Almost every week, we had weekly evaluations, including evaluations at the beginning and end of a class, end of month exams, midterm exams, practical exams, and theoretical exams. On average, I studied for about 6 to 8 hours a day and around exam time, even more.” 

He continued, “My objective was to ensure I maintain my GPA at 5.0 so that I can at least give myself a chance to qualify for a postgraduate scholarship in the future.” 

In 2015, the young man graduated with a 5.26 Grade Point Average (GPA) and was the second-highest GPA for the Guyanese delegation. He recorded almost perfect scores in all the subjects he covered in both theory and practice.

After returning home, he was placed at the West Demerara Regional Hospital as an intern. During that year, he was also rotated at the Diamond Diagnostic Centre and Sophia Health Centre. 

After completing his internship in August 2015, he began working as a rotating Government Medical Officer (GMO) at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). He was also rotated at the Enmore Polyclinic and the Campbellville Health Centre. 

Upon completing his eighteen (18) months rotation at the GPHC, he departed the city to serve in Region Seven (Cuyuni – Mazaruni). 

I was placed at Imbaimadai Health Centre, where together with my colleague, Dr. Jarelle Branford, we served as the doctors in charge of Imbaimadai, Chinoweing, and Wax Creek for one year. One of my best accomplishments as a young doctor was being able to complete my hinterland rotation with zero mortalities, despite having several very critical patients.

After serving a year in Region Seven, Dr. Ramcharan was placed once more at the West Demerara Regional Hospital and worked in the Obstetrician-Gynecologist (OB-GYN) and Internal Medicine Department for (6) months. 

He then requested a transfer after discovering that his mom’s tumor had re-occurred, and she had to start conventional chemotherapy. She later passed away in April 2019 with a rare, aggressive type of cancer. 

Following his mother’s passing, he started working at the Campbellville Health Centre, where he is presently stationed. He is also a part-time lecturer at the Greenheart Medical University.

I celebrated my 5th anniversary as a doctor on August 31, 2020, and by the end of October, I will complete serving my five years of public service ministry contract. 

Dr. Jason revealed that he is passionate about teaching, along with helping those in need. 

The first thing I am passionate about is teaching; I love to teach, and I do so from my heart. Anytime I see any medical student around, and especially if they express interest, I would always take time out to teach them. The second thing that I am passionate about is helping those in need, and I try my best to reach out and help, even if it is just by listening to people and giving them medical advice, and sometimes financial assistance. 

He credits his success to his family, especially his parents, whom he said have provided him with everything he needed in order to excel. 

Without their love and support, I don’t think I would become the person that I am today, and I am not just referring to my profession, but me, as an individual, my character traits.

His advice to aspiring doctors is simple. He said;

To anyone desirous of becoming a medical doctor, I would like to encourage you to be prepared to study hard, work hard, and always remember what is it that motivated you in the first place, that is your love for helping those in need, especially those who are ill.

Dr. Jason has a little advice to everyone who is reading his story. He said;

I would like to encourage everyone reading this, that no matter how young or old you are if you have a dream or an aspiration. Write it down and research all the various means you can take to achieve this dream. Regardless of how long it seems to be taking or how many rejections, please do not give up, because if God has placed that dream in your heart, it is for a purpose that is greater than you can imagine, and trust that God will make way for you. And my final advice is, always know that you have the power to make this world a better place each day, and you can do so by being the best version of yourself, by being a little kinder, and by making a conscious effort to help those in need.

Dr. Ramcharan hopes to qualify himself as a clinical neurologist and continue serving the people of Guyana. He explained that he wants Guyanese from all walks of life to access neurological services free of cost and be able to receive the best quality care. His long-term aspiration is to have a political career as he noted that his heart desire is to serve Guyana with excellence and humility.