THE Ministry of Human Services and Social Security (MHSSS) has sent home the staff member who is alleged to have assaulted a pensioner on Monday morning at its Cornhill Street office, and says that an investigation has been launched into the incident.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the ministry said that it has taken note of a post being circulated on social media alleging that a pensioner who was at the office enquiring about her pension book, was slapped by the female member of staff with whom she’d spoken.
The ministry says that if the allegation is true, then not only is the incident “inexcusable” but “unacceptable” as well, and would like to take the opportunity to apologise to the pensioner who was wronged.

“We take all incidents of abuse or violence against the elderly/pensioners seriously, and are dealing with the matter with alacrity,” the ministry says in its statement, adding: “We sincerely apologise to the pensioner for the trauma caused, if this incident has occurred.”
Noting that all public service rules and procedures will be followed in dealing with the matter, it said: “We have made contact with the individual who made the allegation through a Facebook post, and that person will be giving a statement. The pensioner has also been contacted to provide a statement as well. The Officer has been sent on administrative leave, while a thorough investigation is being conducted into the incident.”

In the well-circulated Facebook post she made on Monday, University of Guyana (UG)’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor Dr. Melissa Ifill says she was at the ministry’s Cornhill Street office at the time when she witnessed the pensioner being slapped by the Officer.
Ifill said the reason she was there was because she’d taken her father to uplift his old age pension book, and was sitting around waiting on him to complete his business when the incident occurred. “I saw a heavy-set staffer quarrelling with the pensioner, telling her to leave and stand outside,” Dr. Ifill said, adding: “And then, to my shock and horror, the staffer leaned back and slapped the pensioner. I couldn’t see properly, but it appeared as if she fell.”
She said the pensioner was later assisted out of the building by another staff member. She noted that the incident occurred at approximately 09:15hrs.