Dear Editor,
In light of recent discussions in Parliament, I would like to clarify the ownership and mission of Midway Specialty Care Center.
Midway Specialty Care Center (MSCC) is a U.S.-based organization operating nonprofit healthcare clinics designed to provide an integrated and holistic approach to patient and community care. We are a rapidly growing institute with 17 clinics throughout the state of Florida alone. Our mission is to maximize patient choice and empower individuals to take responsibility for their health decisions. MSCC focuses its services on individuals living with HIV, AIDS, and Hepatitis C within the communities we serve. Our clinical care model emphasizes chronic, primary, and acute care, with particular attention to underserved populations. We are committed to fostering a climate of respect, confidentiality, prevention, and education, while ensuring a seamless continuum of care. Additionally, we actively cultivate community partnerships to improve patient access to comprehensive services.
The MSCC Guyana clinic was established in 2019 by me and our CEO, Anand Sukhram. My vision was to expand access to infectious disease care in Guyana by leveraging the advances achieved through our robust clinical research programmes in the United States. MSCC is recognized for rapidly translating clinical research into innovative, patient-centered care. Extending this expertise to my birthplace was the realization of a long-held goal.
No relationship with the Government of Guyana was utilized to fund the establishment or operation of the MSCC Guyana clinic. In fact, we have personally invested private funds when necessary to sustain and advance the clinic’s services, including during the COVID-19 pandemic response.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, MSCC was one of the few laboratories in the Caribbean to introduce PCR testing and novel treatment modalities in Guyana. With an established laboratory already performing testing for sexually transmitted infections, HIV, and Hepatitis C, the expansion to include COVID-19 testing was both practical and essential. Our accredited lab continues to be fully functioning with a growing panel of available tests.
I previously served with PEPFAR Guyana from 2008 to 2012 and maintain a longstanding commitment to advancing health outcomes across the Caribbean. My contributions include funding continuing medical education initiatives in Guyana, founding the 592 Health Digest to promote public health literacy, and serving as an HIV consultant to the Turks and Caicos Ministry of Health. I have also been a consistent sponsor of the CARPHA Conference and recently launched “The Great Catch” initiative to expand prostate cancer screening. Internationally, I have led PrEP training initiatives for physicians in Brazil. My overarching vision remains to help end the HIV epidemic in the Caribbean through education, expanded access to novel therapies, and improved HIV management.
I hope this provides clarification to those who are under the assumption that MSCC Guyana is a government-funded clinic or owned by a Government Minister. While speculation is not uncommon within the Guyanese community, the achievements of MSCC Guyana are not the result of political ties, grants, or government funding—only hard work and dedication to the communities we serve.