Roof at Leguan Hospital staff quarters falling apart

Staff at the Leguan Cottage Hospital, Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) are being forced to battle a wood-ant infested, leaking roof and are calling on the regional administration to quickly rectify the situation.
Reaching out to Guyana Times on Saturday, an employee reported that the roof in the staff quarters is falling apart due to the damage by the large wood ants’ nests and when it rains then it leaks. Additionally, sections of the ceiling have fallen off.
According to the staffers, the issue started over a year ago and they would have reported it to the authorities but very little effort was made to have it addressed in the early stages. During the latter part of 2018, a team from the regional administration met with the staffers on the island where a number of issues were discussed with the staff quarters being the main focus.
“When we had the meeting we told the regional team about the issues and they promised to have it rectified in the shortest time possible. But we are still waiting. They have it in the budget but we don’t see them acting because this is a priority. At any time the roof can cave in and fall down on us. We can even get sick with the wood ants them,” a staff related.
When contacted, Regional Information Officer Ganesh Mahipaul told this publication that they are aware of the issues at the hospital and corrective measures are being put in place. He acknowledged that they were only aware of the issues after the meeting with the staff at the hospital and took immediate steps to have rehabilitation included in their 2019 work plan.
“Budget 2019 has provisions to construct a new (or rehabilitated) staff quarter…they are going to get a good staff quarter. Tendering of works are currently ongoing. We have already sent out tenders for the first set of works and are in the process of sending out tenders for the second and third set. So when those tenders are opened we will have the project beginning,” Mahipaul related.
He noted that at this time he could not reveal whether the tender for the rehabilitation of the staff quarters would be out soon but insisted that it is part of their 2019 work plan.

Hospital issues
Another issue raised by the residents as well as the staffers of the hospital was the absence of the X-ray facility despite a building being constructed and an X-ray machine procured. The X-ray department at the hospital was expected to be fully functional before the end of 2017 but it is yet to be functional.
According to the residents on the island, they have received numerous promises that the hospital will be upgraded but they have been waiting for over four years for the X-ray department. When asked about the lack of progress in this area, Mahipaul related that they encountered some difficulties but promised to have it up and running by the end of the second quarter.
“The X-ray Department, there are some complications which are technical in nature which the Ministry of Public Health is currently looking at in collaboration with the regional administration. We are working towards getting it up and running soonest.
The complications were beyond our control for last year considering the budgetary expenses. It is a priority for this year and it should be up and running before the second quarter,” he related.