Country desperately needs competent management of COVID-19 pandemic
The official COVID-19 death rate in Guyana now stands at 47 with four deaths within the last 24 hours. This figure, alarming in itself, is inaccurate and understated. The public is being informed that results of COVID- 19 tests are being received subsequent to the death of the unfortunate victim and, in at least one case, it was 21 days after.
We are in the midst of a pandemic and ordinary Guyanese citizens continue to bear the brunt of the disastrous mis-management by those in authority, past and present.
The Government has embarked on a national programme of termination of a large number of persons under the label ‘political appointees’. This broom has been applied at every sector and strata. This is unfortunate and deeply disappointing.
The President of the country has been deeply engrossed over the last week in the distribution of hampers, a noble deed in itself, but again, truly disappointing for a Head of State. His Excellency continues at every opportunity to make beautiful speeches with words of inclusivity, hope and dreams to be fulfilled by all. Unfortunately, the deeds and actions emphasise that this is all empty rhetoric once again.
The primary task of this administration has to be to bring this pandemic under control. The reports emanating in the media, on a daily basis, do not instill confidence.
Dr. Chatterdeo died on the 30th August, 2020 and, at the time of the passing of this benevolent modern-day nightingale, all in authority had to have been aware that he had been tested for COVID-19. The result subsequently came back as positive. No one informed the public, the institutions where he practiced, or his patients of the need to quarantine themselves, to take precautions, to assess whether they had any symptoms or whether they were required to take a test. This duty was left to the members of the family who commendably did this via the media on Friday September 4, 2020, six days after his passing.
To compound the disaster flowing from the mishandling of this case involving a prominent physician, the public was informed yesterday via the media once again, of the trials and tribulations encountered by Dr. Chatterdeo’s nurse, who has confirmed that she has similar symptoms to that of the late Dr. Chatterdeo. She immediately underwent a test but was informed that results would only be available within 14- 21 days. Further, the doctors at the Herstelling Health Centre refused to test her husband. She accurately summed up the current response by the Government to this pandemic as “disastrous”.
This frontline health worker is left to her own devices and has been forced to separate from her 7-month old infant. This is but a single incident of the gross incompetence which Guyanese continue to be subjected to on a daily basis.
His Excellency may find it fit and proper to cease his daily excursions delivering care packages to the daily gatherings and congregations where persons are forced to expose themselves, ironically, to receive their assistance.
Despite the words in the preamble to the COVID-19 guidelines informing the nation of the discussions, consultations and involvement of all stakeholders to draft and implement meaningful guidelines, the singular change from August 2 to present, has been to change the start of the curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 p.m. It only took a month for all the stakeholders to arrive at this momentous decision.
The Government of Guyana remains callously indifferent to the consequences of this deadly virus. The citizens of Guyana are dying on a daily basis.
The time for beautiful language and talk has passed. The time for action and competent management of this pandemic is now.