THE Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure is continuing to execute its mandate in ensuring that safety is adhered to on the nation’s waterways.
And towards that objective, 32 boat operators from the Parika-Bartica service were trained in first aid at a session held in Bartica, Region 7 on July 25. At the exercise, Regional Chairman Gordon Bradford explained that with the training received by boat operators, they are more equipped to help save lives should an emergency occur while traversing the waterways.
Director General of the Maritime Administration, Ms. Claudette Rogers, in an invited comment, indicated that safety on the waterways is the number one priority of MARAD and the agency will continue its enforcement programme.
The training which started in February 2015 saw more than 500 boat operators being trained so far and earlier this year 160 operators from the Georgetown/Vreed-en-Hoop service received training, along with 128 operators from the Parika/Supenaam service.
This initiative is a collaborative effort between MARAD and the Reliance Healthcare Group Inc. which aims to equip all boat operators in Guyana with the requisite first aid training.