GEORGETOWN, Guyana — U.S. Air Force and Guyanese medical personnel completed a two-week Lesser Antilles Medical Assistance Team mission March 27, 2026, marked by a closing ceremony at the State House in Georgetown.
Conducted in coordination with the government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, the mission brought together U.S. and Guyanese providers to deliver patient care, exchange medical expertise and strengthen readiness and partnerships between the two nations in support of regional security and health care capacity.
Brig. Gen. (Dr.) Leigh Swanson, U.S. Air Force Air Mobility Command surgeon and chief of the Air Force Medical Corps, underscored how LAMAT contributed to bilateral partnership and readiness for all participants.
“LAMAT is a collaboration designed to build the partnerships, readiness and interoperability that enable us to respond effectively to challenges together as we work to build a stronger, safer and more prosperous Western Hemisphere,” said Swanson.
The 2026 mission marked the third LAMAT engagement in Guyana, following efforts in 2023 and 2025. The effort aligns with U.S. Department of War priorities to improve medical readiness, strengthen international partnerships and bolster regional stability, alongside Guyanese priorities to enhance health care capacity and bilateral cooperation.
Over two weeks, teams delivered patient care and conducted skill and knowledge exchanges across hospitals and clinics in the Georgetown area, emphasizing practices that can be sustained beyond the mission.
Nicole Theriot, U.S. ambassador to the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, said missions like LAMAT are critical to expanding health care access and quality while providing real-world experience that strengthens medical readiness.
“In very close partnership with the Ministry of Health and medical professionals across the country, LAMAT has significantly expanded access to specialized and advanced medical care,” said Theriot during the closing ceremony. “These engagements are designed to enhance the institutional capacity of our partners, their medical infrastructure, and to foster seamless collaboration between our medical communities…these invaluable skills will remain long after our team departs, empowering your doctors to independently deliver world-class care to their own communities for years to come.”
By the end of the mission, combined teams conducted nearly 3,000 patient encounters across 26 specialties, including primary care, dentistry, general surgery, ophthalmology and mental health. The mission also included nearly 200 surgical procedures and more than 600 emergency care encounters.
Biomedical equipment technicians worked alongside Guyanese counterparts to repair critical medical equipment across multiple facilities.
“The combined U.S.-Guyanese biomedical equipment technician team repaired more than 130 critical medical devices, providing expertise valued at nearly $150,000 and enhancing emergency cardiac and dental care delivery,” Swanson explained.
The mission also featured a four-day mass casualty management training workshop for regional health departments, emergency medical services, the Civil Defense Commission, the Disciplined Services and other first responders.
The Ministry of Health, in partnership with the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, trained more than 100 Guyanese and U.S. Air Force personnel during the LAMAT 2026 mission. Participants engaged in a structured curriculum integrating internationally recognized disaster response methodologies with practical, scenario-based instruction. Core training modules included basic disaster life support, Stop the Bleed instruction, stress first aid and more.
Brigadier Omar Khan, Guyana Defense Force chief of defense staff, referenced the importance of training his forces received during the cohort.
“For the Defense Force, we were able to train the trainers,” Khan said. “From last year to now, we have trained over 500 [people] from our ranks. I’m looking forward to this type of training continuing in the future so we can continue to enhance our own capability.”
President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, Dr. Mohamed Irfan Ali, concluded the ceremony by noting that engagements like LAMAT demonstrate how partnerships strengthen security in multiple ways.
“Too often, when we speak of security, our minds turn immediately to images of borders, defense forces, and battlefield operations. These are, of course, critical elements of national security. But your mission has reminded us, clearly and powerfully, that security must also be understood in human terms,” said Ali. “A nation cannot be truly secure if its people are unwell, underserved, or uncertain about their access to care. In this sense, healthcare is not separate from security, it is one of its most fundamental pillars. Your work has demonstrated how strengthening a healthcare system is an investment in human well-being, while at the same time enhancing national security.”
The ceremony concluded with counterparts on both sides expressing interest in continuing LAMAT in 2027, building on the partnership established in 2023.
“Today, we conclude a remarkably productive two-week chapter that delivered exceptional medical services, facilitated meaningful engagements between our medical professionals and deepened our bilateral relationship,” Theriot said. “I am confident future missions will build upon this success, and I will personally make sure that LAMAT continues to include Guyana on its itinerary next year.”
LAMAT 2026 in Guyana marked the second stop of this year’s mission, which continues across the Lesser Antilles as part of U.S. Southern Command’s health security cooperation efforts to strengthen medical readiness while reinforcing trusted partnerships throughout the region.