Local authorities in Linden yesterday managed to quell an angry group of protestors who had formed a human barricade across Casuarina Drive, Watooka, calling for immediate repairs to the road.
They were earlier aggravated by an inspector of police who allegedly drove forcefully through the barricade soiling the uniform of some nurses.
Yesterday, nurses and ancillary staff of the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC), fully supported by their union, took to the street bearing placards which read, “Fix it. It’s too long we’re fed up. Its nurses, patients who have to walk on this terrible road fix it now. Fix it, it’s terrible fix it now.”
Parallel to the protest by the hospital staff, drivers of taxis and other vehicles had converged at the Mackenzie taxi park to discuss their intended action to address the state of several roads in Linden, the main ones being Casuarina Drive, Dageraad Avenue, several roads in Amelia’s Ward, Wisroc and Block 22.
After learning of the protest they quickly concluded to their meeting and joined the hospital staff. Several bus loads of other concerned residents also joined the protest after word circulated.
The road that drew the reaction of the hospital staff stretches from the entrance of the LHC to the junction of Fair’s Rust, Mackenzie Linden. It is also the main access road to the Watooka Club, NCN Linden Branch and the Watooka Primary and Nursery schools. In addition it’s the only access road to Richmond Hill, Fair’s Rust and other areas.
Nurses complained bitterly about the extreme hardship experienced in getting past the bad patch of the road to access the hospital. They said patients, regardless of their condition, were on numerous occasions dropped off before the entrance. “The taxi dem refusing to come through this terrible place and yuh can’t vex with them, cause some ah dem does get stick up,” said one nurse. Others spoke of having to pay extra to cross the patch of road. According to one of the vocal ancillary staff, recently, an elderly woman seeking medical attention fell while negotiating a path along the slushy road. She had to be admitted to hospital as a result.
“That wasn’t the only case, every day people falling down, even nurses and other staff members,” said one nurse.
“Shoes and our uniform is another issue,” said another nurse.
When the hospital was constructed, the emergency and other driveways in the compound were paved while the park and entrances to the compound were not. The fair weather road quickly deteriorated and over time became almost impassable.
Casuarina Drive has a long history of being in a deplorable state especially in front of Watooka Guest House. The integrity of the full stretch of the road became compromised during a pipe-laying exercise and poor work by contractors who were employed by other local and national organs to implement temporary relief measures. Heavy duty trucks coming from interior locations and those used by Upper Berbice River logging and bauxite mining firms also compounded the situation by refusing to use a bypass road assigned strictly for the use of heavy duty and laden vehicles.
Regional Chairman Kuice Sharma Solomon managed to disperse the protestors after assuring them that relief measures were going to be put in place immediately. He told the crowd that $18 million had been secured to address the road and drains in the area. The amount includes $5 million donated by Bosai. “We are going to get some immediate action today which will at least drain the water off the roads and put some stuff to temporarily bring some relief,” Solomon said.
He announced that beginning today tenders would be out for an $18 million contract to repair the road and fix the drains in the area.
Meanwhile, protestors complained about the unacceptable manner in which an inspector of police bullied his way through the crowd, the evidence of which, they said, was caught on camera.
Protesters including two regional councillors who witnessed the incident—Maurice Butters and Leslie Gonsalves— rebuked the inspector.
They were further agitated when the inspector stood in clear hearing of the protestors and informed his ranks that he was in receipt of orders from his superiors to arrest approximately 15 persons who were directly obstructing the smooth flow of traffic. “Nobody ain’t getting arrest here today. Or y’all gon got to arrest all ah we,” shouted the protestors who blocked ranks as they advanced to the targeted 15 persons.
A heated exchange followed between the inspector, Gonsalves, Butters and several others. Shortly after, Solomon and Member of Parliament Vanessa Kissoon arrived on the scene. Solomon admonished the protestors to calm down and to submit written letters of complaint signed by witnesses against the alleged irresponsible action of the inspector. “You are within your rights to do so,” he told the protestors.
In his defence, the inspector denied aggravating the protestors claiming that he was in his right to access the road. He also said that the move by the residents to block the road was illegal. “I understand what we are doing but there is a right and a wrong way in doing certain things,” the inspector said.
