Jagdeo, PPP join with nation praying for President’s full recovery

…APNU, AFC confident of full recovery

Opposition Leader and People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo said that his Party was extremely pleased that President David Granger, who was diagnosed with cancer, was in fine shape and expected to recover fully.
He made these comments at his press briefing on Thursday when he noted that the PPP was joining the nation in praying for the Head of State’s recovery.
According to Jagdeo, “on behalf of PPP/C, I wish the President a full recovery and our prayers are with him, the entire nation, for his safe return and full recovery. This is not a political matter and politics aside, we should let him know in Cuba that he has our full prayers … he is the President of Guyana.”
President Granger has been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a type of cancer that originates in the white blood cells which form part of the body’s immune system, and was currently receiving treatment in Cuba. He and First Lady

Sandra Granger departed Guyana on October 30, for Cuba so that he could undergo a medical investigation.
In a statement, the PPP added that it was hoping for the President to soon return to Guyana’s shores and offered words of prayer to his family members.
“The nation is comforted by the Government’s assurance that the President will make a full recovery. The Party is also urging that no effort be spared in ensuring that the President receives the best medical care,” the PPP observed.
As President Granger battles with cancer, several individuals in the political arena and others from all walks of life are wishing the Guyanese Head of State well and keeping him in their prayers. Since the announcement that the President was suffering from cancer and was being treated for his illness in Cuba, several social media websites have seen an outpouring of well-wishes being posted.
Since the diagnosis was disclosed, politicians from all political parties, but mainly the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU); the Alliance for Change (AFC) and the PPP/C have moved to Facebook to express their support to the President and his family. A visit to Minister of State Joseph Harmon’s Facebook page saw that his cover photo was updated Wednesday to one featuring the President. Guyana Times spoke briefly to People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) General Secretary and Social Protection Minister Amna Ally, who said that the President was “well and alive” and that she had no further comments to make.
The AFC, in a brief statement issued late Thursday afternoon, extended its best wishes for a full and complete recovery to the President, noting that it was pleased that he was receiving medical treatment and was in “good spirits”.
“All Guyanese are aware that President Granger is a man of immense faith and fortitude, and the AFC is confident that he will successfully overcome this hurdle and return to his duties as Head of State in due course. The party will hold His Excellency, First Lady Sandra Granger and their relatives in prayer at this challenging time,” the AFC noted.
It, meanwhile, sought to highlight that Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, who is an “AFC Elder Statesman”, was serving as acting President during this period and “all Guyana can be assured of stability and continued astute leadership. The AFC looks forward to President Granger’s early return to Guyana and the resumption of his duties as Head of State.”
The Private Sector Commission (PSC) has also said that it was deeply saddened by the news that President Granger has been diagnosed with cancer, but it was “confident that given his fighting spirit” and “the infinite care of his doctors”, he would recover fully.
“President Granger is not just the leader of Guyana, he is also as human as any of us …. We pray for our President to get better and for the affairs of the State to return to normal,” the PSC added in its statement.
The PSC also extended good wishes to the First Lady and the rest of the President’s family and prayed for fortitude and strength for them. PSC official Ramesh Dookhoo also posted on social media that expressions of well wishes for President Granger were prominent at the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) meeting being held in Guyana.
After the President and the First Lady did not return in time for Local Government Elections (LGE), held on Monday, November 12, concern was raised as to the state of his health. An official statement from the Embassy of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana in the Republic of Cuba, by Ambassador Halim Majeed, was released on Wednesday night confirming the lymphoma prognosis.
Moreover, the Ambassador explained that Granger initially underwent a surgical procedure and on Wednesday, began a second phase of treatment, whereby he was expected to stay at the Centro de Investigaciones Medico Quirurgicas (CIMEQ) in Cuba for two to three more days.
Majeed had also outlined that during this time, the “President has been working and resting in accordance with the advice he has been receiving from his doctors. He is in fine form and a good frame of mind. He is expected to fully recover under the supervision of his doctors”.