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Tuesday June 1, 2021
ONLINE DAILY NEWSPAPER
REGION FOUR CHAIRMAN ASSESSES FLOODHIT EAST DEMERARA
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MS. DAPHNE ELAINE ROGERS, MS, DIES AT 92
GPA mourns death of colleague, Mondale Smith
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Tuesday June 1, 2021
REGION FOUR CHAIRMAN ASSESSES FLOODHIT EAST DEMERARA
weekend, Chairman of the Region Four Regional Democratic Council, Daniel Seeram,
With several parts of Guyana being underwater due to heavy rains over the weekend, Chairman of the Region Four Regional Democratic Council, Daniel Seeram, is insisting that new mechanisms beyond the use of pumps and sluice be used to prevent future flooding in Georgetown Speaking during an assessment of flood areas in and outside of Region Four, Chairman Seeram noted that while pumps and sluice are in place to withdraw water off the land, over time those methods have proven
to be helpful outside of Georgetown. But they are not enough to prevent a problem that Guyana continues to be plagued within the capital city. “We have to find a better way to attack the issues of flooding in Georgetown. Waking up on a Sunday morning after you have seen that we have been doing a good job, the fact that the floods are here is very sad. “We have noted flooding in the entire south of Georgetown, East Ruimveldt, West Ruimveld, North
Ruimveldt, Alexander Village, Albouystown, the Sophia area, Prashad Negar, and some areas in Kitty. It’s just a very sad situation and we have to do better,” Seeram said. Over the years Guyana, which consists of most of the population settling on the coastal region, has been faced with the same problem of flooding each time when there is heavy rainfall. While recognizing this issue, the Government and other stakeholders have used the sluice and pump to mitigate flooding. This system, however,
while being helpful at times, has had its failures some pumps remain non-functional. There are also damaged sluices. Adding to such, even with most of the mechanisms being active, several parts of Guyana continue to be flooded and as such, Chairman Seeram is seeking to add to these mechanisms more solutions are needed to mitigate the loss of millions due to flood. The solution he said must be a multi stakeholder’s response. “It is sad to say that this is not new to us in
Georgetown but it is something that we must work together as Central Government, Regional Government, and Local Government in order to eradicate this with the municipalities.” Seeram added, “When it comes to drainage of the region it is a multi-stakeholder initiative; it takes the central Government, the Regional Government, and the local democratic organs. “Also with them is the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority with Guysuco because for the East Coast
they have some level of authority over the pumps and the drainage facility. “When we go and see a facility or an infrastructure that needs to be rehabilitated or so, we have to activate the necessary mechanism to have the institution informed, and then we have the works done.” In Region Four, there are 56 pumps with 48 currently working, 25 sluices on the east coast with 21 workings. With some mechanisms not working some mobile pumps would have been used.
The Leader of the People’s National Congress, Mr. David Granger, is deeply saddened by the death of Ms. Daphne Elaine Rogers, MS, who has died at the age of 92. Ms. Rogers will be remembered as one of the country’s most admired administrators and culturists who dedicated her working life to the Arts, Culture and Education. She served as Principal of the In-Service Teachers Training College and as Administrator of the
National Cultural Centre and in the Department of Culture for several years. She will be remembered for her efforts to modernize the National School of Dance, the Guyana School of Music and the Theatre Guild. The People’s National Congress recalls that Party Leader David Granger (at that time President) presented Ms. Rogers with the Medal of Service (MS) in 2016 for her meritorious contributions in production and performance in the Theatre Arts.
Ms. Daphne Elaine Rogers, MS, dies at 92
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Tuesday June 1, 2021
GPA MOURNS DEATH OF COLLEAGUE, MONDALE SMITH NAME
The Guyana Press Association mourns the death of former journalist Mondale Smith whose sudden passing has shocked family, friends and his media colleagues. Mondale started his media career at the Guyana Broadcasting Corporation in the early 1990s. He produced as well as hosted radio shows at the state broadcasting agency. Mondale would later join the Evening News and eventually became one of the faces of Prime News newscast. There, he anchored the news, covered hard news and sports for that entity.
Mondale would later work at Kaieteur News among several other places. Throughout his media career, he never backed down from a challenge or a story. He was known for his many stand-ups and for going after stories that showed the reality we lived in. All of this spoke of Mondale’s versatility and love for journalism. H was always eager to tackle an issue or go after a story. Even as Mondale moved on to another career, he would share stories or highlight issues that came to him. The GPA extends condolences to
Mondale’s family and to all the lives he has touched. And The Leader of the Opposition Joseph Harmon extends deepest condolences to his family, friends, the Guyana Press Association and the media fraternity on the passing of renowned journalist Mondale Smith. Mondale was an outstanding journalist with a strong sense of social justice. His contribution to media in Guyana was significant. His absence from the media and society will be deeply missed.
Renowned journalist Mondale Smith.
HOW STANDARDS HELPED EUREKA LABS BECOME A HOUSEHOLD NAME
GNBS Technical Officer Mr. Keon Rankin hands over a plaque to Director of Eureka Medical Laboratories Inc. Mr. Edward Boyle on April 20, 2021, applauding the Lab for maintaining its certification status.
Eureka Medical Laboratories Inc. (EML), now a household name, first opened its doors in March 1995 to meet increasing demand for multiple tests to detect, diagnose or monitor various health conditions. The laboratory was initiated by Mr. Andrew Boyle who now serves as Director of EML. Mr. Boyle was at the time working
at the Georgetown Public Hospital as a Microbiologist where he noticed a constant increase in the number of persons seeking reliable tests in the health sector. As such, he was inspired to open his first laboratory at a small office in Waterloo Street, Georgetown with just one microscope and one analyser. Four years later, with a
growth in the number of clients, equipment, and variety of testing, Mr. Boyle decided to get his business certified by the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS). “We wanted to be certified as well because we needed to ensure that what we put out there is quality stuff; not only for self-satisfaction but for our clients and stakeholders as well. I would say also, it
gives us a sense of pride to know that we’re certified,” Mr. Boyle noted. The process which began in 1999 led to the laboratory achieving certification to the Guyana Standard (GYS 170:2009) – General requirements for the operation of a laboratory in March 2001. Laboratories, which conform to the requirements of this national standard, are
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provided with formal recognition to attest that they have implemented an effective laboratory management system, which aids their provision of accurate and reliable results to customers. While admitting that the journey was difficult as the employees of the facility were forced to put certain systems in place in a timely manner, the Director assured that it was rewarding. Mr. Boyle encouraged others to get on board with the GNBS Laboratory Certification Programme. He lauded the GNBS team for working with his company to ensure a smooth process to conformance. “You’re better off being certified. It helps not only with the morale of team players, but also it helps you to have confidence in what you do,” he stated. Quality Manager at the laboratory, Mr. Shawn Manbodh, who is constantly working with other team members to keep the laboratories functioning to maximum capacity, noted that certification gives the assurance of accurate and
reliable results. Mr. Manbodh admitted that upkeeping the requirements is challenging but it is the unmatched way to promote consistency. “You’re able to deliver a level of consistency so not just quality today, off tomorrow; but consistent delivery of quality every day,” Mr. Manbodh explained. “With that, customers have gravitated to us; they have built confidence in us”, he added. In order to reopen Guyana’s International Airports in 2020 after a period of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, EML was contacted to set up testing sites at the ports of entry. The Lab’s accreditation to international standard played a big role in its selection, as accredited tests was a requirement of the World Health Organisation (WHO). Under its scope of certification, Eureka Medical Laboratories performs tests in the areas of Microbiology, Haematology, Biochemistry, among others.
Tuesday June 1, 2021
GET ILLEGAL MIGRANTS VACCINATED
By Sir Ronald Sanders
(The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States and the Organization of American States. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London and Massey College in the University of Toronto. The views expressed are entirely his own) Not vaccinating illegal migrants against the coronavirus would be a fatal mistake in every country. Unvaccinated persons pose a real threat to subduing COVID-19 and will delay the opening-up and recovery of economies. There are two issues related to this matter. First, governments may be reluctant to inoculate illegal persons for fear that, by doing so, they will create attractive circumstances for more people to enter and remain illegally on their shores. Second, illegal immigrants may be reluctant to be inoculated because of concerns about exposing themselves to arrest and deportation by police. This matter is an issue for all
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Caribbean Community (CARICOM) states from Belize in the north to Suriname in the south, including the Caribbean islands. It is well known that the Bahamas is home to illegal Haitians; Trinidad and Tobago now accommodate Venezuelan refugees as does Guyana which also has a share of Haitians and Dominican Republicans. In truth, every CARICOM country has a population of illegal immigrants to some extent. The problem, therefore, is region-wide. The COVID-19 pandemic demands national plans to deal with inoculating illegal immigrants for the safety of the citizens and legitimate residents of each country, and as part of the process of economic recovery. The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean recently reported that the decline in Gross Domestic Product in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2020 “represents the greatest decline in 120 years”. On May 27, the government of Canada partly opened the
way for CARICOM countries to implement programmes to vaccinate illegals, as part of a wider programme to reach vulnerable people. In a new collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Canada has provided CAN$50 million (close to US$40 million) to support PAHO’s work to vaccine at-risk women, migrants, refugees, and transient persons. But, this money is for use in more than 30 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, although I have been informed that there is a carveout of CAN$6 million for the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) which has done remarkably well in providing testing and other COVID-19 related services. All CARICOM countries, in thanking Canada for this generous donation to Latin America and the Caribbean, should ensure that they establish with PAHO their interest in implementing a programme to inoculate illegal migrants. Dr Carissa Etienne, the Director-General of PAHO, has explained
why it is in the interest of Caribbean countries to ensure that illegal migrants are vaccinated. She said: “By offering vaccines to transient populations, countries in the Caribbean and Latin America can deter additional burdens to their national health systems due to infections while mitigating the further transmission of the virus. This alliance (between PAHO and Canada) is pivotal to offer muchneeded technical cooperation for a comprehensive response against COVID-19, to save lives and leave no one behind.” To emphasise Dr Etienne’s point: countries that fail to inoculate illegal migrants could incur huge medical costs, treating citizens and residents who get infected. The wider infection will also mean a longer period for economic rebuilding. Even if every Caribbean country inoculates all its citizens and legal residents, the entire society remains in real danger of infection while unvaccinated illegals move around in their country. Illegal migrants
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tend to live in heavily populated areas with poor sanitation facilities, where transmission of communicable diseases, such as COVID-19, is more likely. They also work on construction sites, in farming communities or in the homes of people as domestic help. Their nearness to their employers and fellow workers puts everyone at risk. The onus is on governments to tackle this problem directly in several ways. Here are four steps that might be considered. First, make it clear that illegal migrants who seek inoculation will not be rounded up by the police and deported. Such a programme of information could be disseminated in communities where illegal migrants are believed to live, and on social media platforms. Second, the health authorities should consider organising mobile facilities to go into the areas where illegals live and work, offering them inoculations in an environment in which they feel relatively safe. If mobile facilities are not available, setting up special clinics in the locations where migrants congregate might also be an option. Third, the government should provide an undertaking that the gathered information would not be provided to the police or immigration departments for the purpose of deportation. The information should be used only for the purpose of issuing a vaccination certificate and providing a date on which a second dose of the vaccine would occur. Fourth, recognizing that many, if not all, of
the illegal migrants, would have no official identity cards, a requirement could be that they provide two passport photographs, one of which could be attached to their certificate and the other kept in the records of health authorities to verify identities at the time of the second vaccine. Munya Radzi, the head of Regularise, a UK-based campaign to obtain rights for undocumented migrants, points out: “In my experience, people do want to get the vaccine, people do want to be part of the solution to control the spread of the virus but it’s the fear of what happens to me if I go to get this vaccine”. He adds: “Unless they get a strong assurance that their data won’t be shared, they will not go”. The adverse consequences of not vaccinating illegal migrants are great, both for curbing the spread of infections and for delaying the ability of countries to open their economies and get the recovery going. Already, the UN says that “the decline in GDP and the expected increase in unemployment rates will raise the number of people living in poverty and extreme poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean by 45 million and 28.5 million, respectively”. Not vaccinating illegals as part of the population is not an option in these circumstances. Every country in the world will have to face the problem, however reluctantly. The Caribbean could lead the way globally.
NEW BAR COUNCIL ELECTED
Ms. Pauline Chase – President
At the Annual General Meeting of The Bar Association of Guyana held on May 28, 2021 via the Zoom online platform, Ms. Pauline Chase was elected, unopposed, as the President of the association for the fiscal year 2021-2022. Ms. Chase is the fourth woman to serve as President of the association in its 41year history. Her father Ashton Chase, OE, SC served as a distinguished past President. This accomplishment of Ms. Chase makes her the first progeny to serve as President of the association. Ms. Chase has been in practice for over twenty years at the Chambers of Ashton Chase Associates. Her election as President is a testimony
Ms. Jamela A. Ali, SC – Vice President
Mr. Teni Housty – Vice President
Tuesday June 1, 2021
Mr. Keoma D. Griffith – Secretary
Mr. Naresh Poonai – Treasure
to her dedicated and illustrious service as Secretary of the association for the past four consecutive terms, commencing in 2017. Outgoing President,
Mr. Teni Housty, having served two immediate past consecutive oneyear-terms was ineligible under the Rules of the Association for re-election. He was
unanimously elected as a Vice-President together with Ms. Jamela A. Ali, SC. Mr. Keoma D. Griffith, the outgoing Assistant Secretary, was
elected as Secretary of the association. Ms. Ashely King is the new Assistant Secretary. Mr. Naresh Poonai was returned as Treasurer for the second consecutive term. The Returning Officer, Mr. Joshua Abdool, also declared the following persons
duly elected as Council Members, filling the remaining six offices on the Bar Council, the executive body of the association: Mr. Robin Stoby, SC; Mr. K.A. Juman Yassin, SC.; Mr. Kamal Ramkarran; Ms. Onassis Granville; Mr. Horatio Edmonson and Mr. Donavon Rangiah
a pat-down instead of using the x-ray machine. This request was denied, I was made to parade myself four times in and out of that machine with undue care from uncouth staff. As if this was not enough, CANU continued with the most degrading search on my personal effects. I am a septuagenarian; I was never involved in
transporting any illicit stuff, and would like to know why I am being targeted when attempting to depart Guyana. I would like Mr. Ramesh Ghir and the Civil Aviation Director to note my harassment. These people need to be trained. They are an embarrassment to Guyana.
Unnecessary hassle at CJIA Dear Editor, On April 25, 2021, I was making the midnight Jet Blue trip to NY. In the departure lounge after clearing Immigration, and preparing to be screened, I had my second most horrifying experience with the screening technician. Because of a radiationrelated cancer surgery I had in 2007, I requested
Traumatized citizen.
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