Guyana Focus
recorded in 2016
(Kaieteur News, Jan 3, 2017) – More than 9,000 new cases of malaria were recorded across the 10 administrative regions during the course of last year, the majority detected in Region One.This, according to Minister of Public Health, Dr. George Norton, who during his Ministry’s year-end press conference revealed that the number of new cases recorded has amounted to some 9,415.
In 2015 about 8,000 cases of malaria were recorded by the Ministry of Public Health’s Vector Control Services Unit.
This suggests that there has either been an increase in cases or the Ministry has been able to improve its surveillance capacity in order to detect more cases. Malaria is transmitted by the female anopheles mosquitoes. Its symptoms include: shaking chills that can range from moderate to severe, high fever, profuse sweating, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and anemia.
In its efforts to heighten detection of malaria during the course of the past year, Norton said that a pilot project was rolled out in 2016 which saw the training of miners in Region Eight to use malaria rapid testing kits and to administer treatment for uncomplicated cases of malaria.
Ninety-six miners from mining areas such as Black Water, Jumbie Creek, Micobie, and Konawaruk were trained.
Operations Training Officer of the Vector Control Services Unit of the Public Health Ministry, Keith Moore, had during the past year revealed that the Ministry embraced the initiative to train miners with a view to having malaria diagnosed quickly.
This move, he said, translated to miners being taught how to do rapid malaria tests and also to take blood smears. “We train them to treat according to the diagnosis. We will give them the drugs to treat, we will teach them how to treat and we will give them everything they need to do that work,” Moore said.
He, however, asserted that “we are looking for one type of treatment so this service is not going to be extended to children and pregnant women.”
The initiative, according to Moore, was deliberately designed to help ensure that miners in particular are diagnosed early and treated early. This is important, Moore noted, since it has been proven that once patients are subjected to early treatment they have a better chance of recuperating properly.
The camp that the Ministry has used to pilot the initiative is one that is owned by a miner Ian Best, in whose care all equipment, drugs and other materials to deal with malaria are kept. The camp, Moore said, is situated in Region Eight beyond Mahdia thus miners who become inflicted with malaria will no longer have to wait to be taken to the Mahdia Hospital for treatment since they can now be treated immediately.
However, reports of cases, Moore said, are still being sent to the Mahdia Hospital and it is entered into the system there. According to Moore, “the initiative has been working…we are getting the reports. I have been there and I have seen people being treated.”
He noted that while the work being done at the ‘pilot’ camp has already been accepted “we need to have it done on a wider scale.”
The initiative, according to Moore, will essentially help to take pressure off of the public hospitals in terms of malaria treatment.
Meanwhile, Minister Norton disclosed that efforts towards fighting malaria in Guyana continued during the past week with the training of health care workers in malaria case management. Seventy-nine persons from Regions One, Seven and Eight were trained and training is currently ongoing in Region Nine.
Twenty-two health workers were trained from the remaining regions of Guyana. Training of health-care workers at the Georgetown Prison was also conducted.
According to Minister Norton, the Mission of the Vector Control Services Unit is to improve the control of vector-borne illnesses throughout Guyana by implementing tools such as vector surveillance, early diagnosis and treatment, information, education and communication, among many others in an effort to have a healthier nation.
But in order to be as efficient as possible, Minister Norton revealed Friday that the Vector Control Services Unit has three sub-programmes in place. These are Malaria, Aedes-borne illnesses and Neglected Infectious Diseases.
Minister Norton explained that the Malaria sub-programme has a targeted focus on the fight against the Anopheles mosquitoes ranging from vector control interventions to diagnosis and treatment. As part of the efforts to advance the fight against malaria last year, Minister Norton said that routine distribution of long-lasting insecticide nets at public health facilities in the malaria endemic regions continued in 2016 as well.
In 2016, there was increased public awareness of Malaria, which saw measures such as the designing and erecting billboards in Regions Seven and Nine, designing and printing pocket guides on the use of the malaria rapid tests, printing and distribution of colouring books on malaria prevention and control for school-aged children in the malaria endemic regions.
And there were some notable achievements under the Malaria sub-programme including the reduction in the number of recorded Malaria cases from 13,245 in 2015 to 11,149 in 2016, the launching and monitoring of the Region Eight Pilot Project for miners and the recognition of health workers involved directly in malaria case management both centrally and regionally.
For the Aedes-borne illnesses sub-programme, in 2016 surveillances continued for the Aedes Aegypti larva and other species of mosquitoes breeding, which transmit dengue, malaria and yellow fever, according to Minister Norton. In fact he revealed that a verification and treatment cycle is in progress, whereby eliminating the larval stages (aquatic stage) of the vector, with the use of Temphos insecticide is being done.
Other activities conducted in 2016 to fight Aedes-borne illnesses included educating persons in households about the importance of keeping their houses and surroundings free from mosquito breeding grounds and the inspection of incoming vessels/ships for mosquito larvae.
In the Neglected Infectious Diseases sub-programme moves were made to look at several illnesses with particular focus on improving health awareness and designing programmes to facilitate their elimination in cases where it may be possible, according to Minister Norton. These diseases, he said, included Leishmaniasis, Chagas, Lymphatic Filariasis, Soil Transmitted Helmithiasis and Leprosy.
The main achievement of this sub-programme in 2016, Minister Norton said, was the conducting of the Mass Drug Administration (MDA) exercise which saw pill distributors going house to house to distribute the DEC and Albendazole pills to protect against Filaria.
The exercise was conducted in Regions Four and 10 from September 5-19 and in Regions Three and Five from September 19 to October 3. A mop up exercise was also conducted during all the weekends of October as well as a few week days, according to Minister Norton.
A total of 276,968 persons were treated during the MDA exercise in the aforementioned regions. This was the first time that the MDA was implemented in Region Ten.
Minister Norton revealed, too, that 868 pill distributors, 96 field officers and four field supervisors were trained to execute the distribution exercise for the MDA.
Under this programme, the regions have been invited to play a more meaningful role in the execution of campaigns.
Apart from the MDA, the Public Health Minister said that 178 patients were seen and treated as a part of the surveillance component of the Lymphatic Filariasis programme in 2016. Of these persons, 20 had Lymphodema.
(Dwarka Lakhan will return on January 18.)
Volda Lawrence has been transferred from the Ministry of Social Protection to the Ministry of Public Health and Amna Ally moved from Ministry of Social Cohesion to the Ministry of Social Protection.
In reality this means that Ally, already a trusted political decision-maker in her People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) political party, has been elevated to a senior minister while Norton is now merely a minister in the ministry of the presidency and answerable to Minister of State, Joseph Harmon.
Dr Norton has come under severe criticism in the past few months especially as it relates to his ministry’s renting of a building from businessman Larry Singh to house pharmaceuticals even though the bond had not been competed at the time. Up to recently the bond has still not been properly utilised.
Norton last year was forced to apologise to the nation and the National Assembly for providing inaccurate information to the House about the rental of that bond.
Last month during the consideration of the 2017 budget estimates it was found that no tablet was being stored there even though the minister had stated that the bond was single-sourced because of an urgent need. Many of the cold storage facilities were also empty.
Norton has been also embroiled in controversy over the release of large consignments of imported foods that the Food and Drug Administration has deemed unfit for human consumption.
The removal of Norton, a Vice Chairman of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), comes at the end of a Commission of Inquiry into the drug procurement at the Ministry of Public Health by former Assistant Police Commissioner, Cosbert.
The Minister said that even though his strength lies in the health sector where he would have spent 28 years he would be taking up his new appointment and putting his best foot forward.
Asked if he sees his re-assignment as a demotion the minister said, “One can look at it from two ways moving from a Ministry with a 23 billion budget to one with a nine million one (one) can hardly view that as a promotion.”
location - Norconsult
Norconsult’s declaration in its December 12, 2016 report that the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project (AFHP) is the fastest way forward for Guyana to realize its green energy ambitions has created a dilemma for the APNU+AFC government which has maintained its opposition to the project in the wake of the report. Guyana and Norway will now have to discuss the way forward.
Aside from hydropower being the best green energy project for the country, Norconsult pinpointed Amaila as the best hydropower prospect and adverted to 2012 findings by Verlyn Klass. Norconsult said that Klass did an evaluation of the known alternatives and the larger ones were resized to match the projected energy demand here.
Besides Amaila Falls, Klass’ study considered the Kaieteur Falls, Turtruba Falls, the Upper Mazaruni, Arisaru and Oko Blue. Based on technical/economic/environmental/social considerations, Amaila scored 100 in the rankings. Kaieteur Falls was next with 74, Turtruba 57, and Upper Mazaruni 47.
Norconsult said that a more recent study, ‘Guyana’s Power Generation System Expansion Study’ by Brugman SAS (June 2016), also concluded that hydropower is the lowest cost option. This study pegged Amaila Falls as the second lowest cost option of the hydro plants, slightly higher than Tumatumari. However, the Tumatumari Project has a significantly lower plant load factor – 50 to 55% versus 70-75% for AFHP. This means that more back-up capacity would be needed if Tumatumari was chosen.
Norconsult added “The Tumatumari reservoir would inundate 6-20 times larger area than the planned reservoir of AFHP with more extensive environmental projects”. In addition, the studies for Tumatumari from the 1980s need to be raised to a feasibility study level including environmental and social impact assessments. Norconsult said that Tumatumari may therefore be better suited as the second hydro development in the country as its location is suitable for sharing the transmission line with AFHP.
They are Attorneys-at-Law Neil Boston; Charles Fung-a-Fat, Llewely John, Rafiq Turhan Khan, Vidyanand Persaud, and Rosalie Althea Robertson.
The other appointees are Justice Roxanne George-Wiltshire, a sitting High Court Judge, Retired Justice, Claudette Singh and Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams.
Expressing shock at President Granger’s “sudden announcement” of the appointment of Senior Counsel, Nandlall registered his strong objection to the appointment of Justice George because she is a sitting Judge.
Nandlall, an executive member of the opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP), said this latest move represents a further deterioration of Guyana’s political environment since the APNU+AFC coalition came to office 20 months ago. “The slide into authoritarianism by this government is moving faster than I anticipated,” he said.
The following statement was issues by the Ministry of the Presidency: “His Excellency Brigadier David Granger, President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, is pleased to appoint the following persons as Senior Counsel, learned in the law in Guyana, on account of their exemplary experience, erudition, excellence and diligence in the practice of the law, with effect from January 1, 2017.”
1. Mr. Neil Aubrey Boston, admitted to the Bar in November 1982, for service with distinction as a trial lawyer for over 34 years.
2. Mr. Charles John Ethelwood Fung-A-Fat, admitted to the Bar in August 1983, for service as Parliamentary Counsel and Deputy Chief Parliamentary Counsel for over 33 years.
3. Justice Alison Roxane McLean George-Wiltshire, admitted to the Bar in October 1990, for service as a Senior State Counsel, Assistant Director of Public Prosecution, Deputy Director of Public Prosecution and Director of Public Prosecution.
4. Mr. Clifton Mortimer Llewelyn John, admitted in 1952 first as a solicitor and then as a barrister, for his practice in both he High Court and the Magistrate’s Court.
5. Mr. Rafiq Turhan Khan, admitted to the Bar in November 1984, for his service as an advocate, member and Co-Chairman of the Legal Practitioners Committee.
6. Mr. Vidyanand Persaud, called to the Bar in London in July 1976 and admitted to the Bar in Guyana in October 1976, for his service as an arbitrator in disputes and in private practice for 40 years.
7. Ms. Rosalie Althea Robertson, admitted to the Bar in November 1983, for her service as a Legal Advisor and Corporate Secretary for 33 years and as Registrar of Lands.
8. Justice Claudette Margot Cecile Singh, called to the Bar in London in 1973 and admitted to the Bar in Guyana in 1976, for her service as the Deputy Solicitor General and as a Puisne Judge and a Justice of Appeal and her leadership in spearheading the Modernisation of the Justice Reform Project, and as the Guyana Police Force’s Legal Advisor.
9. Honourable Basil Williams, admitted to the Bar in October 1983, for service in the practice of the law in both criminal and civil law for over 33 years and as Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs.
Ramzam Bassalat, 45, also known as ‘Bucky’, was last seen wearing a white t-shirt and blue jeans, leaving his sister’s home in Woodley Park Village, around 8 am on the day. He was heading to a shop in the village to purchase cigarettes.
One of Bassalat’s sisters, Nazreen Shahid, of Rosignol Village, WCB, said that after the disappearance of her brother, the family immediately launched a search party and retraced his steps.
According to the 47-year-old woman, her brother used to reside with some of his friends whom 0he worked with in Bath Settlement. However, two days before his disappearance he and the people he lived with were involved in a heated argument, during which they allegedly beat him.
She added that her brother phoned her sister in Woodley Park after the alleged fight and asked if he could move in with her and two days later, he mysteriously went missing. She noted that her brother has never been missing before, as he would check in with them regularly.
She stressed that she did not want to accuse anyone without solid evidence, but there was room for speculation.
Shahid said over the period of 17 days, she reported her brother being missing twice at the Fort Wellington Police Station but they never came to investigate.
She explained that the father of one was a quiet person who does drink but doesn’t get into problems.
The MoU, the officials explained, will last for a period of one year which will oversee further assessment by the buyer – whom they did not identify. The Guyana Office for Investment (Go-Invest) will subsequently conduct a Feasibility Study which will pave the way forward, the officials divulged.
Meanwhile, the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) is calling on the David Granger-led administration to be ‘forthright’ claiming that they have been left in the dark.
GAWU, through its General Secretary (GS), Seepaul Narine, told media operatives at the Union’s Headquarters that that they have been reliably informed by ‘credible’ sources about the MoU.
“We were informed that an examination of the Estate was done by the would-be owner and great interest is shown in the two lucrative co-generation units.” The GS stated.
He added also that the potential buyer is also interested in the Enmore Estate, eyeing the packaging plant as well.
GAWU President, Komal Chand, when quizzed on the identity of the potential buyer, said that based on the information he has received thus far, all fingers are pointing to a company operating out of the United States. He did not commit to naming the entity.
He said that his union does not find the ‘reasons’ advanced by the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) and the Government for the divestment of the estate, as credible.
Seepaul Narine said that with the estate coming under foreign ownership, it will result in a ‘big chunk’ of foreign exchange – which is much needed ‘now-a-days’ – being held outside of Guyana’s borders by the new owner(s).
“It is recalled that former President Forbes Burnham in nationalizing the industry 40 years ago, after centuries of private ownership, alluded to the non-repatriation of foreign exchange as a factor that influenced the decision,” Narine said.
Previous media reports have indicated that the deplorable state of the Skeldon Estate and the expenses incurred, might have given the GuySuCo Board the extra push needed to look at the options of either selling or diversifying it.
Contributing to the estate’s woes also, is the $200 Million Chinese-built factory – the brainchild of the Peoples’ Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).
Hussain was shot once to the neck and Singh 15 times about his body, by two men who concealed their faces with kerchief and were armed with rifles. Two male suspects have been taken into custody and are assisting with the investigation.
GuyOil said while kerosene and gasoil prices have been increased by G$5.00 per litre, respectively, gasoline prices have moved upwards by G$12.00 per litre.
“It is instructive to note that Guyoil had reduced the price for gasoline in October 2016, which was consistent with our policy of passing on favourable prices to the Guyanese populace whenever possible,” GuyOil said.
owed to NICIL
James told reporters yesterday that NICIL has provided a list to the Minister of Finance seeking his intervention. Topping the list is the now Ministry of Public Infrastructure (MPI) with $174M spent by NICIL for work on roads leading to the Marriott Hotel. MPI is followed by the Central Planning and Housing Authority with $74M for work done at the Sparendaam, East Coast Demerara (Pradoville 2) housing scheme and GuySuCo, $61M for the rental of a building at 199 Camp Street.
Noting that NICIL has started the recovery process, James informed “We have quite a few of them in court and we have started our repossession. In fact we have even hired special lawyers who will be chasing down …those persons who owe”, he said. He added that they have won a case against one debtor and is vigorously pursuing the others.
He said that NICIL wrote to the minister outlining the government agencies that owe money. The minister indicated that he would meet the NICIL Board to discuss those matters.
Asked about the government dividends on its 10 percent shares in New GPC, James said payment is outstanding for 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.
NICIL, he said, has written to New GPC in very strong terms stating that those dividends should be paid over immediately. He said that there was a reply from New GPC claiming that government owes a large sum of money and that at the moment a cash flow problem is being experienced. “But they still acknowledged that they owe us those dividends and our Board is not happy about it and I have written strongly to them…I think they have accrued it into their books but that is not good enough for us. We want the dividends to transfer it to the government”. The total dividends owed he said is US$5.7M.
Pressed for a definitive answer as to what the next step will be, he said that NICIL has not yet moved to the courts. He expressed confidence that the Board will pursue the matter vigorously and assured that the next move will be made in the new year.
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