Dear Editor,
I wish to refer to a letter written by the previous Health Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy in defense of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic and laying all the blame of the current crisis of the health care sector in Guyana at the PNC-R Guyana. In his letter, Dr. Ramsammy states the following: “While it is encouraging that news entities like KN are again interested in what occurs in the health sector, we completely reject the attempt by the KN to transfer the neglect that was evident at the New Amsterdam Hospital before August 2020 to the PPP government,” and, “That the PNC-R Guyana assumed office in 2015, under a coalition government with splinter parties that have no current political following and support, and destroyed all the incredible achievements in the Guyanese health sector of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic”.
For the purpose especially of those who reside outside of the borders of Guyana and my fellow Canadians, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic won the elections and assumed office on October 5th, 1992 and remained in office until 2015. In 1992, the state of Guyanese public health care was in shambles with regard to the health institutions under the direct control of the Government of Guyana. Undoubtedly, there were some incremental developments to the state of public health care in Guyana and I wish to state a personal experience for a better understanding.
In the latter part of the 1990’s, one of my children fell ill and I rushed him to the Georgetown Public Hospital where I remained waiting in the Emergency section for several hours while my son was in pain and in urgent need of medical attention. The overall state of the hospital and the care was so horrible and this was under the watch of Dr. Leslie Ramsammy as Health Minister that I took my son to a private hospital, St. Joseph’s Mercy Hospital and I never again visited a public hospital in Guyana and this state of affairs remained in effect from 1992 to 2015. During Dr. Ramsammy’s tenure as health minister, there was rampant alleged corruption in the public health care sector and his utter failure can be understood as he opened a private medical institution offering services that the public health care sector was simply unable to.
As a fierce defender and agent provocateur of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic, Dr. Ramsammy’s pathetic response especially to those of us who are aware of what transpired is symptomatic of the malaise of corruption that is endemic of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic under its leader Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo; the current Vice President, who is the subject person of a recent report by the US based Vice News on corruption in Guyana. Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo out rightly refuses to conform to the call and agree to an international investigation on corruption involving himself within the strict application of the Rule of Law.
Sincerely,
Kris Kooblall
Toronto, Canada
