The Facts:
Georgetown, GINA, December 4, 2004
President responds to PNC/R ramblings on outreach programme
The Opposition People’s National Congress/Reform claims that the Government’s outreach programme is an attempt to deceive.
However, President Bharrat Jagdeo has persistently pointed out that this system of Government is aimed at including the grass root populace in the decision making process.
“It’s a system that a lot of people do not like,” he said during one of his South Georgetown visits.
PNC/R M.P, Jerome Khan said, “Neither the PNCR nor the vast majority of Guyanese who have been forced,… to live under depressed and deplorable conditions of squalor and abject poverty, are fooled by the masquerading antics of the Jagdeo Circus which is touring the country in recent weeks pretending ignorance of the deplorable conditions many Guyanese are living under. This show of the President’s generosity is not only ludicrous but also an insult to the Guyanese people.”
However, it should be noted that there have not been outreaches of such nature under the previous administration.
The President’s outreach initiative is to first-hand knowledge of people’s way of life, living standards and environment and to improve these.
At Zeelugt, on a recent visit, the President responded to PNCR ramblings.
“They’re saying that this money that we are spending across Guyana comes from debt but I’ve been saying that the PNC should be the last group of people to speak about debt burden and anything associated with debt. Because when they left this country, when we took over, you had a foreign debt of US$2.1B. That is over $400B leaving out the domestic debt. We have repaid US$1.1B (equivalent to $220B), that is money we could have spent on our people,” he said.
The Government plans to continue its community interactive relationship and to address community development through this approach.
Dr. Ramsammy clears air on Cataract backlog
In response to reports in the Stabroek News about the backlog of cataract surgeries countrywide, Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy said Government is working overtime to reduce this backlog.
In an article in the Stabroek News of November 21, 2004, it was stated that about 5000 persons are waiting for cataract surgery to be done and that some of these patients have been waiting for about two years.
In an invited comment Minister Ramsammy admitted that there is indeed a backlog in this area.
However, he said the Government is working to reduce the waiting list.
The Minister noted that his Ministry is hiring new staff and there is also a programme which has been introduced to reduce the backlog.
Minister Ramsammy also responded to claims of “teething problems” at the new New Amsterdam Hospital.
He said the public needs to understand that things do not happen with the push of a button, but take time and the Government is doing all it can.
Like any new facility there are some minor problems, but things are coming together as measures are already in place to solve the problem.
Irresponsible media reports
President Bharrat Jagdeo has always appealed to journalists to be more responsible when disseminating information to the public. A recent example of irresponsible reporting was made by the Evening News on November 29.
A Roy Babel report stated that the deployed Guyana Defence Force troops in Grenada who were sent to help rebuild the island after it was ravished by Hurricane Ivan earlier this year, are disgruntled that they have not received any allowances for about one month.
The GDF has responded to the news item. A release from the GDF stated, “The Guyana Defence Force wishes to be placed on record by stating the decisions of soldiers not to be paid salaries and allowances while serving in Grenada was a private and individual choice.
It added, “If any soldier, since being deployed wishes to change that arrangement, the current financial procedure for the release of his/her salaries will be exercised.
The GDF’s Second-in-Command, Colonel Chabilall Ramsarup returned to Guyana on November 30 after four days in Grenada, confirming that the welfare and other needs of the Contingent were being addressed.
It is the responsibility of journalists to report in a responsible manner to society. However, there have been several malicious and irresponsible reports in the media.
Those are the facts!
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