Monthly Archives: July, 2024

Kaneville daycare was operating illegally – Human Service ministry Jul 01, 2024 News Dead: Three-month-old Kyre Nelson   Death of 3-month-old baby… Kaieteur News – The Ministry of Human Services and Social Security on Saturday said that the daycare where three-month-old Kyre Nelson died was operating illegally because its Child Care Licence had expired since 2020. “The last documents issued to Mya’s Daycare for renewing the Child Care Licence was February 7, 2020,” the ministry stated before adding that checks made during post COVID-19 revealed that the facility was closed. Its owner, a woman currently on vacation in the United States of America (USA), is a registered caregiver with the Child Care and Protection Agency (CP&A) but had repeatedly reported that the daycare has been closed since 2020. “However, investigations revealed that the woman’s granddaughter opened a child care facility illegally on the 2nd of January 2024 unknown to the Child Care and Protection Agency,” the ministry stated before adding that no documentation or assessment was ever made for the “illegal facility by the Child Care and Protection Agency’s Early Childhood Development Services Unit”. Police have since arrested the granddaughter as investigations continue. Reports are that Nelson was found motionless around 12:00hrs with his head face down on a pillow inside of a cradle by one of the two teachers on duty at the day care. The teacher was reportedly preparing the other children at the day care to go home when she noticed Nelson’s lifeless body. An alarm was raised and the other teacher on duty picked the infant up and noticed that he was bleeding from his nostrils. The teachers reportedly washed the blood from the baby’s face in the kitchen area and tried reviving him but to no avail. The child’s mother was then informed and he was rushed to the Diamond Diagnostic Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. A report was made to the police and an investigation has been launched into the circumstances surrounding the child’s death. The baby’s mother told police that she took him to the day care around 08:00hrs on Friday and passed him over to one of the teachers before leaving for work. That teacher confirmed that she did receive the child alive and fed him some porridge around 09:00hrs. At around 11:00hrs, she placed him to lie down in the cradle and left him to attend to another child. It was about an hour later when the teacher discovered the child motionless. Related Similar Articles

Man nabbed with gun, ammo. in pants crotch Jul 01, 2024 News The gun and matching ammo Stefan Edwards Kaieteur News – A 24-year-old man was nabbed early Sunday morning with an unlicensed gun at Red Dragon Night Club, Robb Street, Georgetown. According to police, ranks acting on information intercepted Stefan Edwards, an unemployed resident of Albouystown at the night club. “A search was carried out on his person by one of the ranks and Edwards was found to be in possession of a 9mm pistol with a magazine containing seven matching rounds of ammunition — which was discovered in his pants crotch,” the police said. Edwards was asked whether he is a licensed firearm holder, he replied in the negative. He was arrested and taken to the Brickdam Police Station. The firearm and the matching rounds of live ammunition were marked in his presence, placed in an evidence bag and lodged at the station with the sergeant for safe keeping. Edwards remains in police custody. Related Similar Articles

How do you wish to be sent off? Jul 01, 2024 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom Kaieteur News – With the rapid pace at which stem cell research is being conducted and the encouraging results which tests have so far yielded, within the next thirty years, unless some cataclysmic event takes place, the global life expectancy will soar. This research holds out great hope for medical science and for ending deaths due to some of the major medical conditions which today afflict mankind. Who knows we may even reach the stage where persons will cease to die from some of the major illnesses which today account for deaths. I certainly think that this research will find a cure for many diseases which are now incurable. Perhaps within the next hundred years, scientists may even be able to bring back persons from the dead. I do not expect to live that long. I do not expect to live another fifty years and therefore, I do not expect anything would be able to be done to bring me back from the dead or to prevent me from falling victim to some of the major killer diseases of today. I expect to die and to be buried. Well actually, I have not made up my mind as yet how I wish to go. I cannot decide at this point whether I wish to be buried or cremated. I am still thinking about it. I may not have a choice in the matter however. At the rate at which the existing burial grounds in Guyana are being occupied, we will very soon come to a stage where some cemeteries will have to be retired. Space is already running out in Le Repentir Cemetery. That burial ground, the largest in the country, should have long been retired. It is now an eyesore and a health hazard. The city has to look for a new cemetery. But where will the land come from? There is no land in the city to establish a new cemetery and therefore, we have a problem on our hands. With persons dying all the time, there will come a time in our history where burial grounds will have to be shifted further and further outside the residential areas. And this of course will pose problems for planning and development. It will also pose problems for families wishing to bury their dead. It seems clear to me that more and more Guyanese will have to opt for cremation.  In fact, I am very surprised that given the condition of most of our burial grounds that we are not having far more cremations these days. I am certainly now giving thought to requesting that my earthly remains be cremated when I leave this world. I certainly am not enamoured with the idea of my remains being sealed in a concrete tomb, with my family having to visit regularly to help keep the spot clean and tidy and to have to from time to time come to pay their respects.  When I am gone, I am gone. I do not wish to be a bother to anyone. And this is why while I am not comfortable with the idea of cremation; I am thinking that perhaps this may be the best option for the disposal of my body. It certainly will be cheaper in the long run. Cremation does not require an expensive coffin and does not require, as is the case with burial, after care and maintenance. I can be put in any cheap box and my body placed on the pyre to be burnt. My ashes can be kept in an urn as a reminder to my descendants that I existed. No one has to leave where they are living to come to Guyana to pay their respects to me whenever my death anniversary comes around. In fact, my ashes can be taken wherever my children wish them and could even be divided amongst them. I certainly value the thought of my remains moving all around the world with my children. That is far more comforting than the thought of being locked permanently in a coffin and placed in a sealed tomb. But I have not made up my mind. I still wish to give more thought as to how I wish to be sent off. Whatever I decide, I will write it down and give to my lawyer for inclusion in my Will. The rest is out of my control. By the way, how do you wish to be sent off? (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.) Related Similar Articles

Olmac Medical Hub and SMOT host successful medical outreach Jul 01, 2024 News Volunteers who participated in Saturday’s medical outreach Kaieteur News – Olmac in collaboration with Specialist Medical Outreach Team (SMOT), a non-governmental organisation on Saturday hosted a medical outreach and blood drive at the Olmac Medical Hub Guyana, Vreen-en-Hoop. The event, which started at 08:00hrs and concluded at 16:30hrs offered blood pressure and blood sugar testing, optometry, dentistry, physiotherapy, and pharmacy services as well as a blood drive. The SMOT team, which was established in June 2023, comprises young professionals, including nurses, doctors, optometrists, physiotherapists, dentists, gynecologists, pediatricians, and pharmacists who work across the country providing care to those in need. During the medical outreach, coordinator Calvin Roberts said, “Our services, or rather our mission focuses on providing health services to the unprivileged communities or those communities that are far-fetched or a less accessible to health care services.” He explained that SMOT focuses mainly to provide medical healthcare services and to network, whether it is with governmental or a profit institutions. Meanwhile, Founder of Olmac Medical Hub Guyana, Dr. Phillip McPherson, who spent 33 years in the United States of America perfecting his medical skills, said that the medical outreach is his way of giving back to the community. He said, “the outreach, is to give back to the community…making healthcare accessible, where patients can be treated.” The Olmac Medical Hub founder said it has always been his desire to give back to Guyana and to provide quality medical service to citizens. Dr. McPherson told Kaieteur News that Olmac Medical Hub Guyana provides urgent care/ primary care, dialysis center, stroke rehabilitation center, pharmacy, dental care, wound and diabetic foot care center, podiatry care, Continuing Medical Education (CME) training center, x-ray, ultrasound and clinical laboratory. Furthermore, Revin Chandrobose, a pharmacist said, “Our outreach has a pharmacy department, we bring our own medications so that when patients come and they see the doctor they can always receive their medication.” Chandorose, along with the Pharmacy technician Dolly Softley, described Saturday’s outreach as one that is “Offering healthcare services to patients, who don’t have access to it.” More than 100 citizens have benefited from free medication and medical treatment during Saturday’s outreach. Related Similar Articles

Small Miners Association to meet with Minister Bharrat over suspension of dredge operations in Port Kaituma Jul 01, 2024 News SMAGI Chairman David Daniels meets with Eclipse Falls miners and shop owners Kaieteur News – The Small Miners Association of Guyana Incorporated (SMAGI) has said that it plans to meet with the Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat in wake of a dispute that left several mining operations in Eclipse Falls Port Kaituma Region One suspended. The meeting is part of a plan to brief Minister Bharrat on an agreement made between the miners, Community Development Council (CDC) and the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC). According to SMAGI, an agreement has been brokered between the miners and the settlers in order to bring an end to the suspension in the operations, with a multilateral resolution being arrived at, involving the miners and shop owners, the chairperson of the CDC, Ms. Sunita Henry, and an NDC representative, Mr. David Flores. The operations of approximately twenty dredges and ten shops were suspended by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) almost a month ago due to the dispute between the miners and the area’s CDC. Speaking to this publication about the origins of the dispute, SMAGI Chairman David Daniels said: “It was alleged that the miners were paying [the former] CDC chairperson. Now after there was a report made to GGMC that no royalties were paid to him or being paid on the said land, that’s when they came in, so when we did our investigation —well, you know there are bad actors on both sides— to what I understand, there are some miners who were not paying and they were some who I believe, I’m assuming, that did pay; and when Ms. Sunita Henry was elected the new chairperson, no royalties were paid to her, so that’s when the issue arose that the miners are not complying with the order of paying the ten percent tribute for working on the said land.” He said these conditions are what prompted the GGMC to halt the mining operations.According to Mr. Daniels, since then, a meeting has been held with all the involved parties. The meeting was moderated by SMAGI, and an agreement has been reached, which is now awaiting the briefing of the Minister of Natural Resources in order to see the desired result, which is the resumption of mining operations in the area. Deputy Commissioner of the GGMC, Mr. Jacques Foster, has since confirmed that he is aware of the issue and has been made aware of the recent agreement. However, since his agency is one of enforcement, the Ministry of Natural Resources will have the final say in the matter. “The previous arrangement about who did pay and didn’t pay, the whole situation will be squashed. They arrived at this new agreement that [whoever] is seeking permission to operate on the said land, now they will be paying the CDC of Eclipse Falls, and the miners agreed that they are willing to pay and they would pay. The chairperson for the CDC at Eclipse Falls, the NDC representative from Port Kaituma, and the vice chair [of the CDC], they all came, and I had discussions with all three parties, including the miners, and everybody in unison agreed and the miners agreed to pay the ten percent tribute and we would forward all the information to the relevant authorities, that is the Ministry of Natural Resources, GGMC. Ms. Sunita Henry, she forwarded that information also to the Minister of Amerindian Affairs to update them on the situation,” said Daniels, speaking about the details of the eventual resolution. Importantly, SMAGI stated that the miners further agreed that all gold mined within the area will be sold directly to the Guyana Gold Board. This and the other terms of the agreement will be discussed with Minister Bharrat. Daniels affirmed that as important as it is to get the mining operations back up and running, his agency is committed to respecting and preserving the lands and livelihood of the Indigenous people in the area. “What is most important to us in this case, is the Indigenous community, that their rights are protected, because as much as we represent small miners, we also represent the rights of our Indigenous brothers and sisters, we want to ensure that if mining activities are taking place on CDC land or land controlled by the village council, that the royalties are paid to that particular village council so that the council can use that revenue to develop their community,” he said in a video statement released by SMAGI. Related Similar Articles

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Campaign financing – What Guyana needs Jul 01, 2024 Features / Columnists, The GHK Lall Column Hard Truths by GHK Lall Kaieteur News – Guyana needs robust campaign financing laws. Laws without loopholes. Laws that mean business. The Hon. Attorney General, Mohabir Nandlall, SC knows this, and much more. He must move with all the energy and acumen and urgency that he can summon. A bill, a law, a new era of applying tight campaign financing law(s) across the board. I say to hell with the Opposition PNC and AFC if they will not get fully onboard. Not just onboard, but fully so. And if the PPP/C with all the power and drive at its fingertips, as manifested so consistently, cannot bring itself to do so, then may it be damned to answer to the Americans and fail miserably at it. I start with scripture and ask pardon of nonbelievers. “The love of money is the root of all evils.” Straight from the Bible, and it is not money. It is the love of money. That insatiable greed, that uncontrollable compulsion, like a terribly and dangerously hung-over binge drinker. Are you still reading and absorbing, Mr. Nandlall? The government must be done with the schemes and stratagems re: campaign financing. Get a law that has teeth. In a cash intensive society, campaign financing is one of the killers of clean governance. It is the easiest matter for anyone who can afford it in this country to slip a hundred million, or a half billion, into the hands of a political party. For Guyanese who think that GY$500 million is a staggering sum, know this: it is not for those who give such sums (or close to them, or more than that). It is what comes back from a victorious government and leaders who are deeply indebted due to financing favours extended before, during, and after elections. In any campaign/political financing law that has meaning; there must be limits and no secrets. Full disclosure and buttressed by full documentation. Records kept by givers and records by receivers. A flaw is recognized right away: how to account for under the table, cash transactions, dark money donations. Men with bags, trusted couriers with suitcases, of cash. It is that kind of society in Guyana, and it is not changing anytime soon. This is what fuels political parties during elections, helps them to propagandize and proselytize. TV messages are expensive, and so also are what must be paid to foot soldiers and fence sitters. Or those in the opposition that must be bought to secure either electoral triumph or a special kind of bureaucratic partnership. Ever think why, outside of the mass of politicians, why the public service at very high levels has earned such a dubious reputation, an ugly distinction that many in the public domain suspect, but only those in government know. After elections is crucial for donors and financiers. The bigger ones anticipate the biggest rewards. They get it by truckloads, and those rewards are part of a vicious and destructive cycle. A cycle is a circle, and it works like this. The campaign financiers give big and get the biggest plums. The people’s (budgeted) money is channeled via contracts to campaign financiers, even if such contracts must be forced to favour them. Criteria and conditions can take a hike, be damned. There are all those unanswered and unsettled questions about the tender board, the procurement watchdogs, and the way that business is executed. Guyanese read about those who get public work contracts that they shouldn’t have. Lost in the shuffle are those who failed to win a contract, though they qualified. I contend that this is how campaign financing corrupts the tender award process, when the inexplicable happens, and when leading political stars pass those hot potatoes to others to run with the fallouts. It is part of the game that commences with campaign/political financing. Estimates that have no basis. Winning bids that mock honesty and principled duty. Then, the flow of political kickbacks that keep the circle of corruption going, and which began with campaign financing. From giver to taker. From political leadership taking to government giving to successful recipient returning a portion of what feeds the machine, the beast. Again, I say it: campaign financing, political donating, is a leading component in the culture of corruption that consumes this country and its taxpaying citizens.What starts out, or is naively interpreted, as feathering one’s nest is much more treacherous and costly than what is held as a standard commercial practice. Despite its layers of laws, checks and balances, and company of honest watchdogs, even a mighty society as the United States has its challenges with campaign/political financing, and it is a way less cash-centered country. Guyana as it is presently, therefore, is open territory for the worst excesses of campaign/political financing. My understanding is that both major political parties have their ideas of what strict campaign financing law(s) should look like. It stands to reason why that is so. Take away the easy millions (hundreds of such) and the television and podium must be foregone for the muddy streets and distant villages. It is heavy going with much foot slogging, tireless handshaking and appealing and selling oneself. In person. Rich campaign financing and overflowing party coffers allow outsourcing, media spinning and deceiving, and little leadership accounting. Guyana needs to get some basics in place: limits. Disclosure. Documentation. Penalties for violators. For both donors and receivers. All of Guyana’s political leaders need to stop talking through their noses (or their back ends) and start giving honesty a try. Start with a clean and comprehensive political financing law. Then enforce it to the fullest. Campaign financing: do something, let it be the real thing. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.) Related Similar Articles