A 22-month-old baby boy was on Wednesday morning rushed to the
Accident and Emergency Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital after reportedly ingesting kerosene at his parents’ home, 2 Riverview, Ruimveldt. He was treated and admitted to the Paediatric Ward.

And on Tuesday, a four-year-old toddler of Craig, East Bank Demerara, was also admitted to the hospital after he ingested thinners, a liquid used to dilute paint. The child was treated and also admitted to the Paediatric Ward.

Also on Tuesday, around 16:30h two-year old Christopher Grant, of 382 BB Eccles, East Bank Demerara, was rushed unconscious to the Accident and Emergency Unit of the hospital, after falling the top stairs of a two-flat building.

Reports are that the child was playing, when he fell from the stairs. He was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in a critical condition.

Meanwhile, last Sunday, around 18:00h. a three-year-old baby girl of Chelsie Park, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara, suffered severe burns about her body, after a pan accidentally fell off a stove and spewed its contents on her. She was admitted to the Burns Unit of the GPHC.

And in the neighbouring village of Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara, last Saturday, a six-year-old boy was attempting to cross the Mahaicony Public Road when he was struck down by a minibus and suffered a fractured leg. He was admitted to the Pediatric Ward of the hospital

Over the past several weeks, there has been an upsurge in the number of infant cases treated at the Georgetown Public Hospital for preventable illnesses. Hospital authorities observed that many of the cases were caused through negligence on the part of parents and guardians.

And whilst the abovementioned cases all involved toddlers, many other children and young adults have either keen killed or seriously injured on the nation’s roads.

Examples of cases in which young lives have been snuffed out on the nation’s roads over the last four months include:

* Sixteen-yr-old Jetrow Persaud, a student of North West Secondary School, pinned and killed by a tractor he was driving at Waune, North West District on May 28.

* Two-year-old Fabian Gomes of Long Creek, Linden/ Soesdyke Highway, struck down and killed by a car while being taken to play school by his other siblings on June 9.

* Six-year-old Ricardo Mc Bean of Brighton Village, struck down by a vehicle on the Brighton Public Road, Corentyne, Berbice on July 26.

* Seven-year-old Amishya Ali of Railway View Meten-Meer-Zorg,

West Coast Demerara, and 12-yr-old Ricky Kumar of Parika, East Bank Essequibo, killed instantly when struck down by a speeding motor car on their way to a religious service, accompanied by their grandmother on August 16.

* Twelve-year-old Viveekanand Rudradeo of Ogle, at Better Hope, East Coast Demerara , struck down by a hit-and-run driver while riding along with his father on August 29. He died on September 8.

* Four-year-old toddler struck down and killed by a motor vehicle on the East Bank Demerara about three weeks ago, walking with his mother.

* Nine-year-old Indar Ragubhir of Blairmont, West Coast Berbice, killed in an auto crash while returning from a visa appointment at the United States Embassy in Georgetown on September 16.

Concerned about the wanton slaying and maiming of children on the nation’s roads, Chairman of the National Road Safety Council, Surendra Khayaam, is renewing the call to motorists that they have a duty, when driving, to observe the five Cs of Road Safety, namely Care, Caution, Courtesy, Consideration and Commonsense, and to be on the look out for children using the roads at all times.

This newspaper also wishes to remind parents that children have a right to operate in a safe environment whether at home or out of the home, and that such rights must be respected.