The current Government of Guyana continues to demonstrate high levels of incompetence and corruption in its management of the country’s health sector. It also appears comfortable with the now soap-opera like scandals that erupt almost weekly surrounding its procurement practices in the sector which has led to widespread criticisms at home and abroad.
Before the A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) coalition secured Executive office in May 2015, it appeared to have all of the answers and expertise within its fold to solve the ailments facing the country’s health sector.
Drs George Norton, Karen Cummings and several other members of the then Opposition had vocally criticised the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) for the way it was running the country’s health sector. They blamed the PPP/C’s incompetence for drug shortages, high levels of maternal deaths and poorly managed hospitals and health centres.
Recall the fiery budget debates where the APNU/AFC Opposition spared no effort to demonise Drs Leslie Ramsammy and Bheri Ramsarran, alleging that a conspiracy was afoot to defraud the country and rape the Treasury in order to benefit the “best friend” of former President Bharrat Jagdeo with the award of lucrative contracts. The Parliament was told on countless occasions that the New Guyana Pharmaceutical Company was not delivering drugs of high standards and on other occasions was the sole beneficiary of the system of sole sourcing.
The APNU/AFC politicians promised to end the systems of prequalification and sole sourcing. They told Guyanese to expect a very transparent and accountable procurement system for the supply and delivery of medical drugs. They also promised, ever so often, to ensure that the NEW GPC INC is disciplined and not favoured. Now after two years in office, this APNU/AFC Government has made the alleged sins of the PPP/C appear minimal. It has committed unspeakable wrongs against the people of this country by attempting to insult their intelligence by trying to hide its own sins and shortcomings in the health sector.
As a matter of fact, the coalition Government is now responsible for the decline of the once promising, improving and buoyant health sector. The hospitals service is poor, and unfortunately the doctors and nurses employed there are still underpaid and therefore lack high levels of motivation. Maternal deaths are still high and now the sector is facing prolonged shortages of medical supplies and pharmaceuticals because the Government foolishly abandoned excellent systems like prequalification that made such a situation unlikely.
The current Administration went to all lengths to avoid awarding the NEW GPC and other well established local entities procurement contracts even when it was clear that they met all of the prerequisites and could deliver. They hatched and plotted at the Ministry of the Presidency and Congress Place all sorts of plans in order to sideline the company. But these plans are continuously backfiring and no amount of shifting around personnel will conceal the true nature of the Government’s expressed will.
The multimillion-dollar bond scandals, continuous breach of the drug procurement process in favour of foreign companies and financiers of the APNU/AFC, and the current scandalous drug shortages altogether will continue to undermine progress in the sector. The Government must stand on principle or it should not stand at all. Its continued interference and manipulation of the Public Health Ministry staff is disgraceful. Business is business. Unless the NEW GPC and other companies have broken laws, then they should not be prosecuted and tried without due process. The information leaks and scandalous reportage in sections of the media who do not understand the basics processes governing the business of procurement of medical supplies is also most unfortunate.
In the end, the public is suffering and the Government’s reputation is declining as its politics of vendetta and vengeance continue to be exposed. The horror stories told by citizens about their experience at public health institutions here are appalling and the level of confidence in their elected officials is on the decrease.
Minister of State Joseph Harmon and other principled politicians in the Government must speak out and challenge their colleagues in the Cabinet to look past scoring political points if it will jeopardise the nation’s health. The Private Sector Commission and other transparency bodies locally and internationally must bring pressure to bear on the Public Health Ministry so that taxpayers get their monies worth. More must be done by the officials there to uphold the laws and deal with every company bidding to serve the public fairly, justly and honestly. The monies awarded are not the Government’s monies but the people’s monies. They deserve better health care and they demand an end to the scandals that continue to plague the sector.
