Govt to partner with ISKCON to enhance primary healthcare delivery – Pres Ali

As part of efforts to advance primary healthcare delivery and raise awareness of healthier lifestyles, the Guyana Government will be partnering with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) to establish clinics at the centre’s various locations across the country. ISKCON has four locations namely, Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara (ECD); Crane, West Coast Demerara (WCD); Essequibo and Berbice.

This was announced by President Dr Irfaan Ali on Saturday evening at the Ratha Yatra Festival 2026, held at the West Central Mall, Leonora, WCD.
“Tonight, I want to announce a special initiative where the Government of Guyana will partner with the ISKCON movement on primary healthcare, having clinics in a box at all your facilities,” he revealed. According to the Guyanese leader, this collaboration will allow the religious organisation to “…encourage your devotees through spirituality, through education and through having regular tests and checks on the importance of good health, through spirituality, through consciousness, through education, through what to eat and how we practice our daily activities.” President Ali also recognised the work and contributions that ISKCON has made over the years to the Guyanese society. He said ISKCON has grown to become a force for good in society – a source of spiritual nourishment, an anchor of moral grounding and an instrument of practical service.
“Through its temples, its outreach, its educational activities and its consistent emphasis on peace and discipline, ISKCON has contributed meaningfully to the moral fabric of our nation,” he posited. Saturday’s Ratha Yatra Festival 2026, also known as the Festival of Chariots, celebrates the journey of Lord Jagannath – an incarnation of Lord Krishna – and his siblings, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra. It is believed that participating in or witnessing the Rath Yatra cleanses one’s sins and brings good fortune. The act of pulling the chariots, known as “Ratha,” is considered a highly meritorious deed. According to President Ali, the Ratha Yatra festival reminds us that sacredness is not confined within the walls of places of worship but is reflected in one’s lifestyle and actions, especially towards others and the environment in which they live.

Development & conservation
“To see the world is to see the hand of the creator, but seeing is not enough. Recognition must lead to responsibility. If the environment is sacred, then destruction of the environment is not just an ecological issue; it is also a moral issue. We, therefore, have a duty – not optional, not symbolic, but urgent-to care for what has been entrusted to us,” Ali stated. This, he pointed out, is especially important for Guyana at a time when the country is undergoing unprecedented transformation. He underscored the importance of ensuring that the environment is preserved in this process. “We must protect our forests, our rivers and our biodiversity. We must resist practices that degrade land, pollute waterways, or destroy ecosystems for short-term gain. Development and conservation must walk together. A nation that destroys its environment destroys its future. Guyana stands today at a critical moment where the choices we make will determine the legacy we leave for generations to come. We must therefore embrace the principle that progress without preservation is not progress at all.”
Equally, the head of state outlined the responsibility towards the immediate environment, that is, homes and communities.

He said a clean environment is not only an aesthetic matter but a reflection of discipline, dignity and respect for one another. “Clean surroundings reflect a clean and clear conscience. We must move beyond the idea that cleanliness is someone else’s responsibility. It is ours collectively. The environment we complain about is often the environment we create. If each household takes responsibility, if each community embraces cleanliness, if each citizen sees themselves as a steward rather than a spectator, then transformation becomes possible,” he stated.

Devotion through action
This consciousness, President Ali added, is what the Ratha Yatra Festival celebrates. He noted that this is more than a festival but a reminder of how life should be lived-with purpose, guided by devotion and one that recognises the sacred in all beings and places. “At the heart of ISKCON’s message, and indeed at the heart of Ratha Yatra itself, is devotion expressed through action. The chariot does not move by itself; it moves because people come together, pull together, and participate together. That is a powerful moral metaphor. It tells us that society advances when people are willing to act in unity, guided by compassion and shared purpose,” he stated. To this end, President Ali urged devotees to carry this message into their homes, communities and daily lives. “We need that same spirit. We need compassion that is not occasional but consistent. We need kindness that is not selective but universal. We need service that is not symbolic but sincere because ultimately a better world is built act by act, heart by heart… May this Ratha Yatra inspire us to live with greater compassion, greater awareness and greater responsibility toward each other and the world we share,” the Guyanese leader noted.