PRIME MINISTER Moses Nagamootoo on Thursday resumed duty following a successful bypass surgery in the United States in February.

The Prime Minister along with his wife, Sita Nagamootoo and their daughter, Maria Nagamootoo, were welcomed home Thursday morning at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA). Following his arrival, the Prime Minister was welcomed by his cabinet colleagues, including President David Granger at a prayer-breakfast on the lawns of his residence.

The Prime Minister has since resumed duty. Minister of State Joseph Harmon told reporters Thursday during a post-Cabinet press briefing that the Prime Minister was kept abreast of developments while he was abroad. “That is Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and the Prime Minister was kept abreast with what is happening in the country while away. The world is a global village, now that you can be any part of the world and still electronically be in touch with your office and be able to make decisions,” said Harmon.
There are, however, some administrative matters related to the Prime Minister’s office that he will be briefed on subsequently, Harmon stated. Meanwhile, at the prayer-breakfast, the Prime Minister and his family were joined by President David Granger, several ministers of government and well-wishers. According to the Department of Public Information (DPI) the aim was to warmly welcome home the Prime Minister who returned after weeks of recuperating from his surgery.

The prayer-breakfast was hosted at the PM’s residence, and all present expressed pleasure at the PM’s return and recommitted to ensuring that his health and well-being are a top priority for the government. Minister of Social Protection Amna Ally said, “Prime Minister, I want to say to you that you have to take it one day at a time, we love you, we treasure you and we want to have you for a long, long time.”

Similarly, Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan noted that the Prime Minister’s expertise and sharing of experiences were greatly missed while he was away. “The advantages of having you in our midst and the fact of having your remarks at Cabinet, Parliament, the AFC meetings and security meetings among others.”

Meanwhile, in his remarks, Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman said “we look forward to your presence in the house and we say to your wife and family ‘thank you’ for taking care of him, thank you for bringing him home to us and we will not fail you. We have a duty to take care of him and we will not let you down and we will not fail you, Sir.”
Prayers were offered up for the PM and family by Reverend John O. Smith, Shaykh Moenul Hack, and Pandit Chateram Pooran. Also in attendance at the prayer-breakfast was First Lady Mrs. Sandra Granger, and family and friends of the Prime Minister. In February, a routine medical examination done here revealed that the Prime Minister had some cardiac issues and had to undergo the heart bypass surgery at a medical institution in the U.S. Following the successful surgery, he remained in the U.S. at his family’s residence during his recovery process.