…in light of diarrhoea outbreak

THE community of Kamarang and its surrounding areas on Friday received a total of 15 filters from the Guyana Water Incorporated to assist in the purification of drinking water in light of reports of an outbreak of diarrhoea there.

Minister within the Ministry of Communities with responsibility for water, Dawn Hastings, led a team of officials into the community to assess the water situation, provide technical assistance and a temporary solution in the form of Lifesaver filters. The team included GWI’s Managing Director, Dr. Richard Van West-Charles; Executive Director of Project Implementation & Partnership Building, Ramchand Jailal; and Regional Manager Osei Manifold and a representative from the Basic Needs Trust Fund among others. The regional executive officer was also a part of the team and assisted in the distribution of filters to the communities.
In a release, GWI said the filters were distributed to Warawatta village, Kamarang Primary and Nursery schools, Kako village, the Upper Mazaruni, Kamarang District Hospital and Quebanang Primary School.

While presenting the filters to village representatives, Dr. Van West-Charles explained that they will serve as an immediate preventive measure to the diarrhoea outbreak. He also assured the villagers of GWI’s commitment to evaluate the area with the aim of installing wells to serve their long-term needs. Dr. Van West-Charles also indicated his plan to fulfil His Excellency President David Granger’s call for equity between the coastland and hinterland. “I see no reason why you shouldn’t have equal access to potable water”, he said.
Responding to questions posed by the managing director about their usual source of water, some villagers explained that they use water from a creek, while others use from a pond for

drinking. The children, they said, use from the river too when they are playing and become dehydrated. The residents therefore requested that all communities get access to the wells that are expected to be drilled, since in the past the well catered to only one section of the community. The residents of Warawatta also noted that the well there has been nonfunctional for some three years. GWI has committed to servicing the well and carrying out maintenance works to bring it back into operation.
In Quebanang, GWI’s technical personnel which consisted of electricians, engineers and a laboratory technician, assisted in reactivating the water supply system that was out of service for quite some time. This was done by repairing the community’s photovoltaic system, also known as a solar PV power system. It is designed to supply usable solar power, which ensures the functioning of their water system.

Meanwhile, Minister Hastings told residents that the visit to the community forms part of her ministry’s commitment to ensuring comfortable and safe livelihoods for all communities. She reiterated that the filters will bring relief to the communities of Region Seven, as it can even be used to convert the water from the river into potable drinking water. Mr. Jailal and Mr. Manifold of GWI demonstrated to the villagers how the filters are used and can be cleaned.
The intervention into the community comes on the heels of reports of an outbreak of diarrhoea and according to Dr. Lakshmi Narain of the Upper Mazaruni, Kamarang District Hospital, almost all of the cases seen at the region’s hospital were affected by water-borne illnesses. GWI will be revisiting the Region Seven areas to determine the best suited sites for the drilling of wells.