When
Public Health Minister, Dr George Norton implicated himself in one of the biggest scandals of corruption in recent months, many were left with gaping mouths. The truth is, while he may have fallen under criticism for inexperience and irresponsibility, no one thought he would make his record worse by signing corrupt deals with coalition supporters.
Norton’s reputation was put at stake when a massive drug shortage paralysed health facilities last year, leaving a stressful situation for medical workers, which endures today. To add to the difficulties faced by health workers, new supplies now have short shelf lives, placing a continuous risk of multimillion-dollar losses on the Government. A few months after his swearing in, the Health Minister also saw hospitals slapped with lawsuits for several cases of severe medical negligence which disabled babies and even cost lives of adults. In just a few months, Norton became the symbol of inaptitude of a Government that has no experience in running a country, where the few Ministers who operated prior to 1992 belonged to a regime which made Guyana the second poorest country in the hemisphere for decades.
When Norton was selected to serve among the few Amerindian leaders who are the pride of the coalition, he was chosen not just because of his ethnicity to demonstrate representation of the Indigenous peoples of this country, but also because of his medical training and background.
But the Minister’s medical expertise has proven to be inconsequential if not a complete failure in managing the public health sector, and Amerindians are among the first beneficiaries to suffer the effects of deficient primary and regional health care.
For years, Amerindian villages, though equipped with primary healthcare facilities, have had to put up with limited human resources and irregularities in supplying drugs on a timely schedule. However, under Norton’s mandate, the situation morphed into one where drugs and medical supplies became so scarce that Amerindian patients who visited hinterland facilities were transferred to Georgetown for the simplest of ailments. But there came a time when even ointments for rash were no longer available at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
Private suppliers of pharmaceuticals were perhaps the sole beneficiaries of this situation, but Amerindians cannot always disburse large sums for drugs. The number of complaints soared.
In terms of health reforms for Amerindians, nothing new to ameliorate the plight of those living in the deep interior was done. Broken equipment still affects the Lethem Hospital for instance, where based on recent reports, it is now impossible to have X-rays taken. The absence of health workers at community health posts is still a challenge for distant communities and financial assistance is not available for drugs or other medical expenses.
George Norton now has the opportunity to bring real change for Amerindians, for his people, but instead, he adds to the complications which are being imposed by the Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Ministry under Sydney Allicock, where travel expenses for medical care are now hardly ever covered, and where reimbursements for fuel to transport patients in Region Nine have been removed.
One has to question the veritable intentions of the Public Health Minister, and whether he promoting positive change to match the growing needs of Guyanese figures anywhere on his agenda for the near future. It might also be interesting to examine his penchant for corrupt practices so early in office, in light of the Sussex Street drug bond fiasco, which many believe has been orchestrated by men with greater influence and power who simply used Norton as a scapegoat.
The true danger, however, lies in Norton’s determination to stand in Parliament, lie to the country about the corrupt deal and try to convince us that million for 10,000 ft² of uncertified storage space per month is cheaper than million for a 70,000 ft², internationally certified bond. This simply conveys the message that the Health Minister is either a puppet or a corrupt element bad at his own game.
Unfortunately, Guyana needs neither. (Send comments to [email protected])
