THE recent attempts by some sections of the media to paint a picture of inhumane conditions at the Amerindian Hostel situated at Princes Street, Georgetown, and of wanton neglect of the Amerindians for whom the Hostel provides temporary boarding and lodging; must be viewed for what it is: a shocking highly incongruous and reckless misrepresentation of the truth undoubtedly designed to attract attention of any unsuspecting public  and a wicked attempt to use an unfortunate incident to score cheap political points. I refer here to the recent death by suicide of a middle aged Amerindian woman who met her demise whilst staying at the Hostel and whose unfortunate death was sensationalized, inaccurately reported and smacked of disrespect for our Amerindian people who use the facility.
The PPP/C‘s contribution to Amerindian development in Guyana:
* The Guyanese public are well aware of the PPP/C Government’s track record in addressing the needs of our Amerindian people and our perennial and  determined efforts ; moreso, since our democratic return to Office in 1992, to plough more and more resources to improve the lives of our Amerindian people. In the process, we have placed increasing amounts of financial and other resources towards providing social services, rehabilitating/constructing and extending infrastructure, and improving the livelihood of our Amerindian brothers and sisters.
* While most of our Amerindians reside in the Hinterland areas of Guyana; and while consequentially, most of the resources we have provided for their development have been channeled  there; the PPP/C, aware of the need for Amerindians to travel to the metropolis of the country for various reasons including: access to medical treatment not then available in their Villages, did make resources available to the Ministry of Amerindian to provide accommodation and meals for Amerindians from Hinterland locations who require such assistance whilst in the City.
* This is what a caring Government does. This is what the PPP/C Government has been doing since 1992. We provide board and lodging, transportation, follow up and out-patient service, etc. for our Amerindians at the Hostel. And we do have many more Hostels in every Hinterland Region of Guyana.

The services provided at the Amerindian Hostel:
* A significant number of Amerindians (about 70%) who use the services of the Amerindian Hostel in Georgetown are persons who are undergoing follow-up therapy. In the process of recuperating, adherence to medication, recommended diet and adequate rest as prescribed by their physicians are very important.
* Many are awaiting transportation back to their Villages and Communities. And these arrangements for the safe return of patients are made by the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs.

The health of these persons are required to be monitored by the Health and Welfare staff of the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs which Ministry is responsible for the supervision and management of the Hostel and that includes the safety and security of the facilities and its residents.

* Included among the itinerant travelers at the Hostel are relatives and friends who accompany patients because of their physical state /condition or their inadequacies with the English language.
A smaller number are persons stranded in Georgetown because of inadequate funds or no funds; some are students on scholarships and some are experiencing problems of alcohol and drug abuse. In the case of the latter, many feel that they could still lead their normal social lives which include alcohol consumption. Ultimately, however, the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs has responsibility for the welfare of persons at the Hostel including teetotalers during the duration of their stay there.

* In the execution of its mandate to accommodate, secure, protect and supervise persons residing at the Hostel; the Ministry has, of necessity, formulated and developed policies, guidelines and rules/regulations as regards (a) the highest quality of desired /acceptable service and behavior expected of its staff and guests; (b) the quality of meals provided and, in general, (c) the wellbeing of the many under the care and service of the Ministry’s staff at the Hostel. In this regard also, the ingress and egress of persons for whom the Ministry has responsibility must rank pari passu; for, If not properly monitored, their absence can create a threat to everyone at the Institution.

* I wish to cite the cases of the Baramita woman who left the perimeter of the Hostel without authorisation, was involved in an accident and the little boy who left the Hostel without the required permission which would have entailed that he be supervised. He was found many hours later in the vicinity of the Stabroek Market. None of these were fatal; we do not need to wait for one to ‘tighten the screws’. The lives of all Guyanese are important to us.

The costs of these services that we provide at the Amerindian Hostel have averaged $13.8M per annum over the past five years. We at the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs have a responsibility to ensure that the quality of service we provide is commensurate with the cost of such a service. In other words, the Taxpayers of this Country must get value for money. With respect to dietary the table below illustrates the point:

2006    2007    2008    2009
$4.3M    $6M    $7.1M    $8M

If in the process of fulfilling our responsibility, we appear to be overly protective; it is because we feel that it would be a dereliction of our duties and responsibilities to the Amerindian people we are paid to serve if they are not given the attention and service we are expected to provide them.
In fact, in our quest to improve the quality of service we provide our guests, we have been reviewing systems, policies, procedures, dietary and staffing needs especially in the areas of physical and psychological needs, and ambience within and without the buildings that constitute the Amerindian Hostel.

We welcome your suggestions and your support as we continue to provide the much needed services  described above to our Amerindian brothers and sisters, at zero cost to them.