Surgeon recalls miracle surgery

Dr Garfield Badal will never forget the tiny bundle lying on the operating table -- fragile and fighting for life.

"It was a premature baby who was only about 0.8 kilogramme (approximately 1.7 pounds)," Badal said as he recalled his first newborn surgery at Cornwall Regional Hospital in St James.

The baby, born prematurely, had developed a life-threatening condition and immediate surgery was the only chance of survival.

"I remember vividly that the mother had a very bad obstetric history, which meant she lost several babies before; so this was a precious baby. The child developed a complication where her intestine ruptured. As a newborn, we had to take [her to] the theatre," Badal said.

But with newborn surgeries a rarity in the region, "there was some hesitancy with some people," Badal recalled. Despite this, he led the team into the operating theatre. Hours passed. Then -- success.

"That baby survived, and I think that has left an indelible mark in terms of how I view the work here," he said.The Portland-born physician, who was initially drawn to general surgery, currently serves as the chief paediatric surgeon for the Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA). His specialised training has not only guided operating rooms but also shaped the future of paediatric surgical care across the parishes of St James, Hanover, Westmoreland, and Trelawny.

Training the next generation of surgeons has been a cornerstone of Badal's mission. He proudly notes that one surgeon has already completed training under his guidance, with three more - each a young woman from Western Jamaica - currently in advanced stages of specialisation.

As the WRHA prepares for the long-awaited Western Children and Adolescent Hospital, now under construction, Badal remains optimistic about what lies ahead.

Badal anticipates that the new facility will significantly expand access to super-specialised care, including adolescent medicine, endocrinology, and paediatric cardiology, fields that remain scarce across the island.

"We're absolutely excited by the building going up. But in terms of where we see the service, it is definitely going to be of added ... immense value to the care of children of western Jamaica in a space that's dedicated to their care," he underscores.