Diaspora to Granger: Let the health of the nation be your priority, & not elections fraud

Dear Editor,
Guyana and the people at large, in the past several weeks, have been caught in a dilemma of not knowing whether their constitutional right to choose their next president and government will be honoured and adhere to. A small group of “power hungry” individuals and selected opportunistic politicians’ main focus has been to stay in power regardless, and to use their influence and draconian measures to pressure the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), the Judiciary, and law enforcement personnel to ensure that the recent elections are declared in their favour, and to disregard the will and rights of the people.
Ironically, in the midst of this power struggle, the world at large has been hit with one of the worse pandemics in recent history – the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic indeed has caught the world off-guard and unprepared. Thousands of people have been infected, and thousands have died thus far, with no real treatment modality or vaccination in place to treat individuals infected by COVID-19.
Healthcare facilities and workers worldwide are overwhelmed by the high demand from individuals seeking help and treatment. Compounded with this pandemic is the shortage of basic supplies, such and facial masks, disposable gloves, hand sanitizers, and equipment such as respirators.
The question that must be asked and answered is: “Where or what has President Granger and his so-called ministers done to address this COVID-19 pandemic in Guyana?” The COVID-19 virus is in no way or form selective in whom it will infect; regardless of whether you are an APNU supporter, a PPP/C supporter, ANUG supporter, Indo-Guyanese, Afro-Guyanese, Amerindian, Chinese or Portuguese-Guyanese, everyone is vulnerable and at risk.
Besides the Government instituting travel restrictions and limiting the gathering of crowds, the healthcare system in Guyana in all regions is ill-prepared to adequately treat and prevent the spread of this deadly virus.
The “Caretaker Ministry and Minister of Health” have done less than a sub-par job to address this pandemic; to adequately educate the public on prevention measures, and to provide hospitals and hard-working nurses and doctors with the basic supplies and equipment. The “Caretaker Minister and President Granger” have blatantly neglected the wellbeing and health of Guyanese. Instead, their time and energies and political greed to stay in power have been their number one priority, and they are hell bent on doing so at the expense of the Guyanese people’s wellbeing.
President Granger and the rest of his cabal, including his coalition partners; namely, the AFC, can now sit back, reflect, and bear the guilt for the rest of their lives on their selfish decision when they objected to the construction of the Specialty Care Hospital. In times like this, the Specialty Care Hospital would have been able to adequately treat patients, save lives, and provide the highest level of healthcare that each and every Guyanese so well deserves. Not only have this regime blocked construction of the Specialty Care Hospital, but within the last few years, they have run the current healthcare system in Guyana to the ground.
Corruption and mismanagement of the healthcare sector again has been the motto and praxis of this regime, and that is a downright disgrace. And again, who is suffering from the corruption and mismanagement? All Guyanese, regardless of political affiliation, religion, ethnic background, religious belief etc.
President Granger and the Ministry of Public Health must immediately put the people’s health and wellbeing as a top priority while the outcome and tabulation process of the elections results are being determined by GECOM; and they must ensure that there is a Healthcare Operational Plan in place specifically addressing Infection Control, to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This plan must ensure that hospitals and community health centres are provided with the basic supplies of such items as disposable gloves, disposable masks and hand washing detergents; ensure adequate staffing levels for doctors and nurses are in place to treat and screen individuals; ensure that medications are readily available to treat infected patients; ensure that testing kits are readily available for doctors and nurses to test patients; ensure mechanisms are in place to get tests from labs expeditiously, and ensure a mechanism is in place to inform patients of their test results in a timely manner, especially those that tested positive for COVID-19.

Sincerely,
NY-based Guyanese