In a landmark breakthrough that redefines the boundaries of modern medical innovation, the South American nation of Guyana has successfully completed the world’s longest-distance robotic-assisted telesurgery, marking a new era in accessible, high-precision healthcare across the Caribbean region. The unprecedented procedure, performed on May 26, 2026, saw internationally renowned cardiac surgeon Dr. Sudhir Srivastava, founder of India-based SS Innovations, conduct a Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) on a patient located 20,000 kilometers away in India, operating from a control room at Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) in Guyana.
President Irfaan Ali announced the historic achievement at an official press briefing Tuesday night, alongside Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony and a multi-national team of medical specialists. He emphasized that Guyana’s new technological leap positions the country to serve as a regional hub for robotic surgery, extending access to this cutting-edge care to all member states of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
“What patients can access in the most advanced medical facilities in India will be available right here in Guyana for the entire region in the coming weeks,” President Ali stated. “Our plan builds a central robotics, surgery and care hub based in Guyana, with outposts across the Caribbean, and we will provide full training for medical teams from every CARICOM nation.” To support this initiative, Guyana has purchased a complete robotic surgery training module and finalized an agreement with SS Mantra, the Indian developer of the surgical system used in the procedure, to establish an accredited international training center on its soil. Previously, all of Guyana’s surgical teams traveled to India to complete certification on the system.
Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony confirmed the training program will receive formal accreditation and will be integrated into post-graduate fellowship training offered through the University of Guyana and the Ministry of Health. The milestone telesurgery procedure beat the previous world record for the longest-distance robotic surgery, also set by SS Mantra for a procedure between Australia and India. Multiple layers of internet redundancy were built into the operation, with an on-site Indian surgical team on standby to take over if connectivity issues arose, and the procedure was completed without complications.
Alongside the historic telesurgery milestone, GPHC also announced a second first for the English-speaking Caribbean: the first fully local robotic surgery, a successful inguinal hernia repair performed by Guyanese surgeon Dr. Hemraj Ramcharran, with support from Dr. Bibi Hussain and Dr. Jagnanand Ramnarine. Ramcharran is now the first Caribbean surgeon to complete a robotic procedure within the region.
Medical experts outlined the transformative benefits of the latest-generation SSI Mantra robotic system, noting it delivers high-resolution 3D magnified views of surgical sites and allows for precision control of tissue manipulation within fractions of a millimeter — a level of accuracy impossible to achieve with traditional open surgery. Unlike conventional open-heart surgery that requires splitting the sternum (breastbone), robotic-assisted procedures use small incisions between ribs to access the surgical site, drastically reducing patient recovery time, blood loss, post-operative infection risk, and complications such as deep vein thrombosis.
Cost is another major advantage: traditional open-heart surgery typically costs between $6,000 and $12,000 U.S. dollars, including a minimum seven-day post-operative hospital stay, while robotic-assisted surgery cuts that cost by 50%. Critically, GPHC announced it will offer all robotic-assisted procedures to patients completely free of charge.
To advance the expansion of robotic surgery in Guyana and the region, President Ali has established a new Robotics Advisory Committee, co-chaired by prominent Guyanese cardiologist Dr. Mahendra Carpen, with members including Dr. Anthony, Dr. Riyad Gafoor, Satindra Prasad, and Steve Carryl. Officials are already working to address remaining gaps in local expertise, including training for a perfusionist — a specialized clinician who operates the heart-lung machine used during cardiac surgery — with SS Innovations assisting with placement for international training.
Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, who delivered remarks at the briefing, welcomed Guyana’s regional offer, noting the new hub will help reduce the growing backlog of delayed surgeries across CARICOM member states. GPHC officials called the dual achievements a groundbreaking milestone in global healthcare, positioning Guyana as a leader in medical innovation and expanding access to life-saving care for underserved populations across the Caribbean.