Dear Editor,
We should expose corruption in every office or corner in Guyana, whether it is investigated by the government or not. It is so wrong to demand money from the people when you are placed in a position to perform your duty as a public servant. My family and other families cannot get drugs at a hospital (name given), although sometimes it is felt that drugs are there, but that we are being told they are not. If money is offered, the drugs will be issued.
Two days ago I called the receptionist to speak to the administrator on this said issue, only to be told that the official is not at work. This is an ongoing attitude; every time you call, you get the same answer. I then asked to speak to the assistant, but I got the same answer.
I now see why the employees of this hospital are doing whatever they like. The receptionist then courteously asked me if she could help me, and I told her the problem. She then told me that indeed there were no drugs but some had arrived from the Ministry of Health that morning, and my family could come and uplift them.
I ask myself where is all the money going which is budgeted every year for drugs?
When you go to this hospital, the doctor will give you a prescription to buy the drugs at a pharmacy on the public road; those who cannot afford to buy the drugs will go home empty handed, and those who have the money will buy it at the pharmacy. I guess that most of these people do not know that I campaign with Dr Bheri Ramsaran on the political platform and I would report it in the press or to the relevant authority. Every day we see in the press that the party and government will tackle corruption, but not one person has been investigated or fired for demanding money.
What happened to the Public Sector Modernisation Plan which was implemented to curb corruption? Most of these people who have become ministers and are working at Freedom House, in earlier times were struggling for the restoration of democracy, and very few assisted us. We were lonely visionaries out in the streets putting up a fight for the dignity of the Guyanese nation, but we received little public support. All those struggles turned into a wasteland, and the democracy which we fought for is lost.
Yours faithfully,
Mohamed Khan