British High Commissioner to Guyana Greg Quinn yesterday condemned Minister of Health Dr Bheri Ramsaran’s verbal abuse of rights activist Sherlina Nageer as “disgraceful” and said that had such an incident occurred in the United Kingdom, the official would have been asked to resign.
“What the Minister of Health said was disgraceful. The language he used or more importantly the sentiment that it is acceptable to use violence and particularly sexual violence against a woman has got no place whatsoever in the 21st century,” Quinn said during a meeting with members of the local media at his residence yesterday.
During their encounter on Monday, Ramsaran said he would slap Nageer for the fun of it and have her stripped in a public place. Ramsaran could also be heard calling Nageer a “piece of shit” and an “idiot” and demanding that she get out of his face.
She had confronted him about the deaths of women and children in the health care system under his watch. While he apologized, the apology has been met with public outrage as Ramsaran blamed Nageer for provoking him.
Additionally, just a day after apologising for abusing Nageer, Ramsaran disparaged her at a meeting with Regional Health Officers (RHOs), telling them that she was a “miscreant” and in need of “psychiatric help.” According to a recording of the meeting with RHOs on Wednesday, Ramsaran lamented that Nageer could “spit in my face but not collect two slap.” It has been observed that at no time during the confrontation between the two did Nageer spit in the minister’s face.
Since the first recording of the minister’s encounter with Nageer in front of the Whim Police Station, there have been calls for his resignation
Quinn said yesterday that had such an incident occurred in the United Kingdom, Ramsaran would have been asked to resign from government. “If that had been a UK minister who had said that, he would no longer be a UK minister and he would no longer be a member of the political party,” the High Commissioner said.
Meantime, he also expressed concern at the rhetoric on the campaign trail and said there should be a debate between the presidential candidates to lay out their views as this would have huge value to everyone. He said the UK High Commission will be fielding about eight observers on Election Day.
In relation to funds for Guyana under the 11th European Development Fund (EDF), Quinn said that the funds will be disbursed on a project basis. “It will be targeted at specific activities,” he said. Guyana is earmarked to receive €34 million in grant funding under the 11th EDF.
It is unclear when Guyana will actually be able to tap the funds as the European Union (EU) recently withheld €25 million related to two programmes pending the meeting of eligibility criteria by the government. The funds are still blocked.
