The Opposition APNU+AFC yesterday charged that the government has no strategy to tackle COVID-19 in Guyana and has referred to its management of the pandemic as appalling.
As deaths due to the virus have doubled just one month after the PPP/C government took office, the coalition members of parliament (MPs) charged that since assuming office, there has been no definitive plan to properly address the pandemic.
This pronouncement was made during a virtual press conference held by the coalition MPs yesterday. According to former minister, Dr Karen Cummings, the new government’s move to abandon a “strategic plan left in place by the APNU+AFC” was reckless. She told the virtual press conference that the former government recognised the need to have all sectors involved in the fight against the disease.
“The PPP/C further dismantled the prevention mechanism available for the disease contagion. Hence, their lack of foresight and inability to govern has resulted in an uptick in positive cases and the skyrocketing of deaths,” she said while adding that the failure by the new government to adequately handle the pandemic has proven to be a disaster for the country.
Dr Cummings noted that healthcare workers are dissatisfied as they are not being provided with the necessary protective gear and risk allowances to recompense for the hard work that they have been doing for lengthy periods. This, she said, shows the government’s lack of appreciation for the healthcare workers who are on the frontlines risking their lives. Dr Cummings observed, “Our health workers are over-worked and not adequately protected. PPEs are in short supplies, or the requisite amounts are almost never issued to regional health officers on their request.”
The former minister stated that that it is clear that the actions of the current government shows that they do not care for the Guyanese populace.
Among some of the actions that Dr Cummings noted that the new government has taken, was the new health ministry resorting to having persons isolate at home while the Ocean View and Diamond isolation facilities are way below occupancy. “The home isolation programme is a complete disaster. Cases are not properly screened to determine if their circumstances warranted for home isolation”, she said.
Dr Cummings told the press conference that there are insufficient surveillance officers to cover the ten regions, while COVID-19 samples for testing are mismanaged and often misplaced. She added, “Three RHO’s were removed from their duties in the middle of the pandemic and replaced with political hires and PPP/C candidates. For this reason, we have seen a rapid rise in the number of cases.”
Meanwhile, Dawn Hastings-Williams during the conference informed that while she was Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, regional and village task forces were set up in Regions One, Seven, Eight, Nine and Ten, while policing groups were set up to assist with the regulation of access and entry to those indigenous villages.
Hastings-Williams stated that they were also able to collaborate with the Ministry of Education to deliver learning packages to schools in the villages. She said that they were unable to implement all the measures that were planned for those regions and villages as the new government took office on August 2. “However, the fact remains that the APNU+AFC coalition was ready and intact to manage the spread of the deadly coronavirus in all of our communities” Hastings-Williams emphasised.
Public Service response
Former Minister of Public Service, Tabitha Sarabo-Halley during her presentation at the press conference stated that a decision which was taken by the current government to have staff of the Office of the President resume daily work from 8am to 4.30pm was irresponsible as it ended the rotation of staff which was in place to limit the number of workers in an office space at any given time.
“This I believe is emblematic of the approach that the PPP regime has taken to the COVID-19 pandemic. An attitude that suggests to the population that the pandemic is not serious and life should return to normal as quickly as possible,” Sarabo-Halley posited.
She reminded that while she was minister, she was able to spearhead the creation of a “public administration work scheme” which was focused on measures which included staff rotation, working remotely, the scheduling of appointments and even the use of a government portal which was there to allow persons to have access to government services. She added, “After one month of implementation where only essential staff were required to be in office, the feedback was positive. Staff even though not physically present were significantly more productive and got work done faster.”
Sarabo-Halley stated that the public service had increased their staff rotation to 50% as the number of cases had reduced in the city and transportation was provided for those staff members to be taken to and from work and more supplies were made available to ensure a higher level of hygiene in office spaces.
“Since the PPP assumed office the number of confirmed cases has increased exponentially, the death rate has also increased significantly, and reports are that several Ministries and government agencies have at least one staff who has contracted the virus,” Sarabo-Halley said.
Hastings-Williams and Dr Cummings both called on the government to correct their management of the disease, focus on reducing the number of virus-related deaths, and to take action to contain the spread of the virus.
