…Regional Chairman, REO debunk misinformation by PPP officials

ALLEGATIONS of bodies decomposing at the mortuary and blood spoiling at the Mabaruma Regional Hospital have been denounced by Ministerial Advisor to the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs, Mervyn Williams, and Regional Executive Officer (REO) for Barima-Waini, Randy Storm, who believe the rumours were started by malicious political figures within the region.

Regional Chairman, Bretnol Ashley also confirmed that he knew of no such situation at the hospital. Storm explained that he first began being contacted, late Thursday, with questions pertaining to the allegations.

“There is no body decomposing and there is no blood being spoilt. Someone from here [Mabaruma], I know who it is, called and said to some of the newspapers in Georgetown that there were bodies decomposing at the Mabaruma mortuary and the blood at the blood bank was spoiling and had to be thrown away. I didn’t know of any such incident,” Storm confirmed.

He said he was subsequently contacted by Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence, and officials from the Ministry of Communities, who were also informed of the issue.

“On Friday, I went to the [Mabaruma] Hospital, to the Regional Health Officer and I told her ‘I would like to see the bodies that are spoiling in the mortuary’. She said to me there is only one body that is in the mortuary, and it is being prepared for burial. I said ok, I want to see the blood that is spoiling and being thrown away from the blood bank. She then said to me there is no spoilt or spoiling blood in the blood bank,” Storm reported.

Storm said the rumours might have stemmed from the fact that there were some power issues in the town. Storm, however, clarified that while the hospital did have an issue with its main generator, it has never been without power.

“The main generator is down but the standby generator is working. I sent the electrical supervisor to check on the generator to see what power was coming from it. He said the generator is only running at 65 per cent of its capacity. This rouse was set from right at the hospital,” Storm said.

Both Storm and Williams said that the malicious allegations are part and parcel of a number of baseless allegations being purposefully instigated by political agitators in the Region.

Storm shared that he is aware as well of other rumours being perpetuated of issues at the North West Secondary School, but knows those allegations are false.