SPALDING, Clarendon — Just over two weeks after treating victims of another horrific mass casualty bus accident, the Percy Junor Hospital (PJH) in Spalding conducted the third in a series of ‘Hospital Based Training in Laparoscopic Surgery’ conferences.

A news release said the Type ‘C’ hospital hosted a Medical Association of Jamaica Indemnity Fund- (MAJIF) sponsored conference with laparoscopic surgery watched by an audience on October 11.

Laparoscopic surgery, also called ‘keyhole’ and minimally invasive surgery, utilises a camera and special instruments through very small incisions to perform a wide variety of abdominal operations, including hernia surgery and cholecystectomy (removal of gall bladder).

According to the news release, the procedure has advantages over traditional open abdominal surgery, including smaller scars, less pain, earlier return to normal function, and potentially less cost to the society.

Since the first conference in November of last year, 14 laparoscopic operations have been done at PJH, including nine cholecystectomies, three inguinal hernia repairs, one incisional hernia repair, and one bilateral tubal ligation.

The audience of 110 participants included doctors, nurses and health care administrators.

The surgical team comprised Dr Lindberg Simpson (Minimally Invasive/Robotic/Bariatric Surgeon from Kingston Public Hospital) who was, for the third time, a presenter and guest surgeon at the conference; Dr Milton Harry (Minimally Invasive/ Bariatric Surgeon from Savanna-La-Mar Public General Hospital), a first-time presenter and guest surgeon at the conference; Drs Tanya Hamilton (St Ann’s Bay Regional Hospital), Akil Baker (Mandeville Regional Hospital), Carlos Wilson, and Stephen Chung (Percy Junor Hospital), who performed three laparoscopic operations on the day.

In his welcome and opening remarks, Chief Executive Officer Earl McLaughlin said what had started in November 2012 as an idea had taken on a life of its own and has evolved into an achievement of monumental significance.

Senior Medical Officer Dr Carlos Wilson praised the staff at PJH for coping with the bus accident on September 25 at Chudleigh in northern Manchester, which left four Holmwood Technical students dead and caused multiple injuries.

Staff members at PJH were severely affected by the tragedy and had a day of grief counselling conducted by psychologist Dr Karl Whyte on October 3.