Govt denies request to evacuate stranded Guyanese doctors, students

– will send hampers instead

The caretaker coalition Government is adamant in its decision to not repatriate Guyanese stranded overseas amidst the COVID-19 pandemic – this time denying evacuation requests by doctors and medical students studying in Cuba.
According to reports, the Guyanese doctors and medical students, who are on scholarships in Cuba, wrote the Public Health Ministry in Georgetown detailing their plights and requesting evacuation. They complained about deteriorating conditions and difficulties in finding food, basic goods and exposure to infection in work settings.
However, in response to the local reports, Public Service Minister, Tabitha Sarabo-Halley on Tuesday refuted the reports, saying that they do not accurately describe the sentiments of a majority of the students who are currently in Cuba.
Minister Sarabo-Halley pointed out that from the inception of the coronavirus outbreak in China, the coalition Administration had decided on and maintained its decision, despite criticisms, not to evacuate students there. This also applies to those in Cuba.
“Having done the necessary investigations, it was recognised that the letter holder and the content of the letter did not adequately reflect the views of majority of the students in Cuba and thus there was no need to entertain a discussion on evacuation,” the Minister said.
Instead, Sarabo-Halley explained that they recognised the need for other forms of assistance and as such, Government is now working to send hampers to all 77 students – both fully-funded and self-funded – who are currently in Cuba.
The students, in their letter to the Public Health Ministry, explained that the exacerbation and intensification of the United States embargo on Cuba have plunged the country into further difficulties which has now resulted in the lack and/or shortage of basic food, goods, personal care products, necessities and services. These, they added, have been further compounded with the COVID-19 spread in the country.
According to the students, the health crisis has forced a suspension of training in all areas and fields of study. However, the sixth-year medical students and doctors are still being encouraged to continue working as an assistance to the workforce in many provinces.
“It is important to note, that in many instances our students and residents have not been afforded the correct PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) for their protection. When these matters are raised, we are met with conflicts and insults as to the presence of Cubans working in our country. Might I add, they are not facing the same challenges that we are facing here in Cuba,” the students argued.
They also highlighted troubles faced in accessing basic food items and necessities, pointing out that the locals are claiming that those items are for them.
However, Permanent Secretary of the Public Service Ministry, Soyinka Grogan said on Tuesday that the Student Affairs Officer at Guyana Embassy in Havana, Dr Corlette Sengwe, has purchased PPEs and hygiene supplies for the students. These supplies, the PS noted, are already in Cuba but awaiting clearance by immigration. In the meantime, she noted that the students are using cloth masks issued by the university.
She added that Sengwe has also been able to deliver water to those students, who are at the universities and studying online.
Grogan contended that 80 per cent of the students would like to remain in Cuba, claiming that the letter was for their return to Guyana in August.
“[They want] the hamper Government would send to the students instead of coming home. This is primarily the case of the sixth-year medical students and the post-grad medical students. They are not very happy or very keen on leaving their studies at this juncture to come home with an indefinite period of not knowing when or if they’ll ever be able to complete their programme,” she asserted.
Meanwhile, the Department of Public Service has informed the students that their relatives are allowed to send small packages, weighing no more than five pounds with personal items. These packages had to be delivered to the Department’s Waterloo Street, Georgetown location by 14:00h on Tuesday in order to be included in the relief cargo being sent by Government.
Since closing Guyana’s borders last month, the caretaker Government has not granted requests or heeded pleas by Guyanese stranded overseas. In fact, head of the National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF), Moses Nagamootoo had said during a virtual press conference earlier this month that those persons should “sit it out” and await the reopening of the country’s borders including its two international airports which have been closed to incoming commercial flights until May 3, 2020.