Govt focused on making social services more accessible – Minister Persaud

In her latest outreach to communities across Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), Human Services and Social Security Minister, Dr Vindhya Persaud assured residents that her Ministry is constantly working to improve the services being offered and will stop at nothing to ensure that access is made easy to them.
Persaud and her team made their first stop at a village called Old England, where they engaged with residents, sensitising and updating them on the numerous programmes being offered by the Ministry including for persons living with disabilities, public assistance, foster care, among others.
As the team was in the process of distributing hampers, several persons signed up for the Women’s Innovation and Investment Network (WIIN) programme and benefitted from one-on-one interactions with Minister Persaud.
“We, my team and I, are here to troubleshoot, problem solve and tell you all about the good programmes that are ahead,” Minister Persaud told residents in the company of Linden Childcare and Protection Officer Huette Moore, Senior Training officer of the Guyana Women’s Leadership Institute (GWLI) Sanjay Pooran, Deputy Director of Social Services Hamwanttie Bissesar, and other officers.
At Coomacka, one of the areas visited, Minister Persaud emphasised, “Each one of you is to be supported, provided for. The entire team is here to ensure that you not only know of the services we offer but that you are able to access the services right in your community,” she added.
By taking the Ministry’s services to the people of Region 10, residents were able to benefit from the Ministry’s spectacles programme of free eye tests, get their questions about the COVID-19 vaccine answered, sign up for several programmes, and iron out issues that have impacted their access to services. Training was also done with the local Boards of Guardians during which members were trained on public assistance programmes and how cases should be handled.
“Government has been focused on development across the country. The President and all of the Ministers have been addressing every sector and today I am focused on the human services sector,” Minister Persaud told residents.
She pointed out how the Ministry has shortened the time for providing pension books, how pensioners can now present their life certificates via WhatsApp if they cannot attend an office, how alternative venues for payment have been established, and how the banking system for delivery was made possible. All of these new systems, the Minister noted, were put in place to cater for the issues that pensioners have been having.
“I have always been concerned about the long lines at the post offices, so this triggered me to push all of this,” she reflected, as she encouraged residents to get to know the members on the Board of Guardians and share concerns with them.
“If we are doing all of this in one year, you can be assured that there’s so much more to come. We want you to keep abreast with what we’re doing and take advantage of the opportunities,” Minister Persaud urged.
The Minister also outlined the recent measures announced by the President that will benefit pensioners, those receiving public assistance and living with disabilities at each of the stops including Three Friends, the final stop in the visit.