-GPF debunks fake news being peddled on social media

DR Madhu Singh, who is attached to the Balwant Singh Hospital, is not wanted by the Guyana Police Force (GPF).

This was according to the GPF in response to a post made by a fake Facebook account, which read: “Breaking news!!!! Dr Madhu Singh of Balwant Singh Hospital is currently on the run evading murder charges; she is being sought for in a breaking GPF discovery – dcm.”

“In that regard it should be noted that Dr. Singh is not wanted by the Guyana Police Force,” said the police.

The GPF is investigating complaints by Dr Singh against a female, who reportedly made a number of defamatory comments against the doctor on Facebook.

The suspect has since been arrested, questioned and released pending further investigation. The public has been warned to desist from transactions with the said account.

“Anyone doing such will be at his or her own risk…the Guyana Police Force operates only one Facebook Account @guyanapoliceforce or https://m.facebook.com/guyanapoliceforce/ and an Instagram Account @guyanapoliceforce, both being managed and monitored by the Public Relations and Press Officer,” said the GPF.

Any other social media account purporting to be operated by the Guyana Police Force apart from those mentioned, is wholly fake.

It was reported that social media activist, Melissa Atwell, was on Friday arrested by the police and charged with “defamatory libel” against the Balwant Singh Hospital, while the hospital, through its lawyer, Devindra Kissoon, of London House Chambers, on Thursday issued a “cease and desist” letter to the Guyana Chronicle demanding that it not publish any story on complaints about the hospital being shared on social media.

For the past few weeks, Atwell has been gaining much attention for sharing anonymous posts on her page making damning allegations against the hospital, which she claims are messages she received from patients.

The Guyana Chronicle approached the Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence, on the issue, where she called on complaining persons to make official reports and not just anonymous statements, so that the matter could be properly investigated.

Following a telephone conversation on Thursday with Dr Singh, who was cited in many of the complaints, Editor-in-Chief of the Guyana Chronicle, Nigel Williams and reporter, Tamica Garnett, were moments later issued the “cease and desist” letter from London Chambers, threatening the newspaper that it would be sued for no less than $100 million.