MANY residents of Port Kaituma, the gateway to the gold mining interior in Region 1 (Barima/Waini), have expressed concern about the condition of roads there.

The hazards of travelling along the Port Kaituma roadways

Summing up the recent spate of accidents at Port Kaituma and other sections of the route to the backdam, they claim the state of the thoroughfare contribute, in a big way, to the wanton loss of life and limbs in the Sub-Region.
The most recent serious mishaps that occurred resulted in the death of a 20-year-old gold miner, about three weeks ago and injuries to six men, at Massewini, also in the Matthews Ridge/Port Kaituma Sub-Region, last Saturday.
The latter happened about 18:30 hrs when the truck in which the injured men were travelling overturned. They were air-dashed to Georgetown on Sunday and are all hospitalised.

The trail to mining locations in the Port Kaituma backdam

In the first crash, on November 19, Joel Fowler and four others suffered injuries when the driver of an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) lost control, allegedly, due to the poor state of the road and crashed.
Fowler, the worst injured, suffered multiple life-threatening injuries and was medi-vacced to the city the same evening. He was admitted to Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) and underwent emergency surgery for fractures of the skull and neck, injuries to the brain and forehead and internal bleeding.
Declared clinically brain-dead, he never regained consciousness but remained on life support, receiving oxygen from a ventilator for eleven days before he succumbed on November 29, 12 days later.

PLANNED RETURNING
Fowler who hailed from Crane, West Coast Demerara, had only a few months earlier gone to work in the interior and planned returning home for the Christmas holidays.
Meanwhile, of the six Massewini victims, Dwayne Gildharie, 33; Wellington Gomes, 36; Carlos Baird, 31; Andrew Edwards, 19; Stanley Ali 30 and Patrick Joseph, 16, who were transferred to the GPH over the weekend, three remain warded there but the others, who suffered mainly fractured limbs, chose to be treated at private hospitals.
People living at Port Kaituma said the men were returning from Massewini when the accident occurred because it was raining and the truck skidded and ran into a big drain.
Those Port Kaituma residents, who spoke to the Guyana Chronicle by telephone, said during the time Barama Company operated in the Sub-Region; it took responsibility for undertaking repairs to the roadways, which benefitted the rest of the community, as well.
However, the conditions have deteriorated considerably and persons with mining concessions whose heavy equipment also contribute to the damage should consider assisting with the rehabilitation.
Meanwhile, children are finding it hazardous to make their way to and from school, given the status of the roads.