Seventeen children with congenital heart defects are scheduled to begin complex heart surgery at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) starting September 28. Multiple outlets report that an international specialist team is arriving to carry out the procedures over the early part of the schedule, with the first group beginning on or around Sept. 28.

The government frames the effort as part of a broader attempt to reduce delays for paediatric cardiac care. One report says President Irfaan Ali states the administration is working to eliminate a backlog of children awaiting complex surgery.

While there is agreement on the initial cohort of 17 children and the start date window, one outlet adds further context by citing a larger total of children expected to receive surgeries by year-end, describing the broader programme as involving more than two dozen procedures. Another outlet emphasizes the immediate “life-saving” nature of the surgeries and highlights the specialized team from Apollo Health Systems.