Dear Editor,
I am dumbfounded by the perverse thinking of individuals who would wish that a health crisis would arise in the city of Georgetown.
What would it take to convince the relevant authorities that the obscene accumulation of rotting garbage in our capital represents many health risks. Not only do citizens have to put up with a variety of obnoxious odours that arise from the ubiquitous mounds of putrid organic matter, but much worse are the nuisances caused by the ever increasing hordes of flies, mosquitoes and vermin. I recently heard of an incident in which rats nibbled the feet of a diabetic. Further, a not too insignificant portion of some citizens’ disposable incomes (and the state’s meagre foreign reserves), is being used up in futile attempts to achieve some measure of relief.
Any primary school graduate would know that fleas, flies, mosquitoes and rodents are the vectors of diseases such as typhoid and malaria, among others. Despite a variety of actions to destroy its historic character, Georgetown remains the principal axis around which all of Guyana revolves. An epidemic of any one of these or other diseases would not only overwhelm our inadequate health services, but would also have grave economic and social consequences throughout the length and breadth of the entire nation.
From all accounts, it would appear that the Mayor & City Council is up against a stacked deck. Efforts by the city council to broaden its revenue base so that it can more effectively discharge its mandate have been frustrated or stymied for years. Besides, the ultimate solution to the problems of urban environmental health is beyond council’s mandate. It would require a multi-sector approach, spearheaded by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of the Environment. But where is the leadership?
Could the assistance of the courts be sought in an effort to resolve the current impasse between the city council and the Ministry of Local Government? Is there any civic organization that would initiate a lawsuit on behalf of the citizens of Georgetown with the aim of expediting some form of relief from this most formidable health threat? Further, does this recurring impasse demand a more strategically located IMC that would have a more effective impact on the development of our emergent democracy? Could communities be permitted to freely determine ‘how’ they will manage their local affairs?
If there is a health crisis in Georgetown, then it would most certainly be a pyrrhic victory. There will be no winners − only losers. The ensuing epidemics will not discriminate between government and opposition supporters. All will be at risk!
Yours faithfully,
Clarence O Perry