George Subraj Foundation: Advancing healthcare for Guyanese communities

In a powerful act of giving that echoes across continents, Northwell Health and the George Subraj Foundation are teaming up to transform cardiac care for Guyanese communities both in Richmond Hill, Queens, and in Guyana itself. A generous monetary gift is fuelling an ambitious initiative to combat the silent epidemic of cardiovascular disease, a condition that disproportionately affects Guyanese populations due to a mix of cultural, dietary, and genetic factors.

The initiative is unfolding in collaboration with Sandra Atlas Bass Heart Hospital, focusing on community outreach, specialized training, fellowships, advanced surgical techniques, and cutting-edge research. It builds on Northwell’s Little Guyana Initiative, which uncovered alarmingly high rates of heart disease and diabetes among Guyanese Americans in Queens, a tight-knit immigrant community that often falls through the cracks of mainstream healthcare systems.

A heart for service

This story of impact made by the George Subraj Foundation has roots deeper than medicine. It is grounded in the remarkable journey of George Subraj, the self-made real estate mogul and philanthropist whose life was defined by perseverance, compassion, and a deep sense of duty to give back.

Born in Bel Air, Georgetown, Guyana, Indian-origin George Subraj arrived in the United States in 1971 with little more than $850 borrowed from family and a pocket full of determination. Working odd jobs by day and studying by night, he steadily climbed the ladder of opportunity. His break came as a door-to-door appliance salesman in Queens, and he realized that clean, affordable housing was scarce.

George worked hard to earn and save money, and in 1981-82, he, along with his brothers Ken and Jay, purchased a 44-apartment building in Jamaica, Queens, planting the seed for what would become the ZARA real estate empire, now encompassing nearly 60 apartment and condo complexes across Queens and Nassau County. With a commitment to clean, safe, comfortable, and affordable housing, ZARA has reshaped the local rental landscape, fostering long-term, multigenerational tenant relationships under the Subraj family’s care.

Though successful in business, George Subraj never forgot his roots. His motto, “Good giving is divine” was more than words. Through Guyana Watch, where he served as Vice-President for nearly two decades, and later through the George Subraj Family Foundation, his philanthropy reached thousands of lives.

His most headline-making act came in 2008, when he partnered with doctors from the Walter Reed Army Medical Center to perform Guyana’s first kidney transplant, saving the life of a 17-year-old boy named Munesh Mangal. That landmark operation, completed in under five months of planning, opened the doors to kidney transplant programs in a nation previously lacking the infrastructure for such advanced procedures.

George followed that milestone by bringing pediatric heart surgery to Guyana, ensuring that children suffering from life-threatening congenital conditions could receive critical care without the crushing cost of overseas treatment.

 

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A legacy that lives on

Even after George Subraj’s passing in  2016, his legacy has continued to thrive. His family and friends, under the banner of the George Subraj Foundation, have doubled down on his mission, making long-term investments in health, education, and community welfare.

The new partnership with Northwell Health is a continuation of that promise. With the foundation’s $1 million gift, the initiative will not only provide access to better healthcare, but also invest in training the next generation of cardiac specialists, expanding awareness campaigns in high-risk communities, and bridging the healthcare gap between the U.S. and Guyana.

For the Guyanese-American community in Queens, particularly in Richmond Hill’s ‘Little Guyana’ and families back home in Georgetown and beyond, this initiative exemplifies the possiblilities when success meets purpose. It’s a bold commitment to building a healthier future, one heartbeat at a time.

In George Subraj’s own words: “The good Lord has given me more than I actually need for happy living, so giving back to the poor and disadvantaged is my way of thanking God.”

That gratitude now lives on with the lives being saved today, and the healthier tomorrows being built by the George Subraj Foundation.