Retired cop gets life-changing surgery

After serving Jamaica in uniform for more than 40 years, retired Senior Superintendent Laurabelle Roberts never thought her country would return the favour to her in a hospital ward.

At 75, she became one of the rare public patients to undergo a minimally invasive gynaecological surgery, a procedure that usually costs more than $500,000 in private care. When she walked into the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) for her procedure last week, her heart raced. She remembered the day she first joined the force in 1970, inspired by the sight of a sharply dressed policeman visiting her teacher's home. She had spent a lifetime serving others but now it was her turn to receive care.

Minimally invasive surgery or laparoscopy, uses small incisions and a tiny camera instead of the long cuts made in traditional operations. For patients, it means less pain, quicker recovery, and fewer complications.

"I prayed about it, and when my doctor told me I had to do the surgery, I accepted it. But at 75, I was skeptical about such a major procedure," Roberts recalled. "I am hypertensive, and my pressure never went up once. It was a plain, smooth, sophisticated surgery. I think they are doing a good job because so many people cannot afford surgery in Jamaica."

Her operation was part of an initiative that saw New York-based doctors from Northwell Health working with UHWI specialists, performing more than 10 laparoscopic surgeries free of charge from September 14 to 19. The project, now in its third year, was sparked by junior surgical resident in the neurosurgery programme at UHWI, Dr Xavier Brown, whose push to expand access to minimally invasive gynaecology has drawn international backing. Brown explained that many women in the public system wait months, sometimes through multiple referrals, before they are scheduled for surgery. While this latest round offered relief to those selected, he admitted the scale of demand far outpaces the supply.

"In private care, you can afford it, but in the public system it remains out of reach," he said. "Laparoscopy has a learning curve. Not everyone readily grasps the concepts or can offer these surgeries."

Visiting surgeon from Northwell's Health, Dr Sandra Lindsay, said the programme has grown beyond its original mission but acknowledged that Jamaica is still far behind global standards.

"Internationally, routine open surgeries are only done in specific circumstances. Here, the challenge is not just resources but also training more doctors, so patients everywhere, urban and rural, can benefit," she said.

Brown noted that while the benefits of laparoscopy are clear, access in Jamaica is shaped by cost. In private hospitals, such a procedure can cost more than $400,000, a price far beyond the reach of most women. Public patients, meanwhile, face months-long waits and uncertainty. Those long waits are not unique to gynaecology, as Jamaica's public hospitals have long battled overcrowded wards, staff shortages and surgical backlogs that can stretch for years. Roberts said knowing that reality made her experience even more meaningful.

"After the surgery, I felt like I had a second chance. I never thought at my age this could happen, not with such skill, not in a public hospital," she said.

She explained that the benefits are not only personal, but systemic, as they mean faster patient turnover and shorter hospital stay. Yet with too few trained specialists and limited resources, laparoscopic surgery in Jamaica's public system remains rare. For Roberts, the operation was both healing and symbolic.

"Jamaica gave back to me the same way I gave back to my country," she said, encouraging other women not to fear surgery. "No matter how old you are, do not hesitate." Brown said he remains determined to close the gap.

"The way of the world is minimally invasive surgery. Internationally, routine open surgeries are only done in unique circumstances. We are just trying to bring it wide and large to Jamaica, one step at a time."