REGION SIX under the Coalition Government saw progress being stymied because of systematic decisions made by the former Regional Executive Officers (REO) that resulted in planned work by the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) being cancelled.
This is according to Government Member of Parliament (MP), Dr Vishwa Mahadeo during budget presentation at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.
“Mr Speaker, one might be tempted to ask why wasn’t there progress in Region Six over the period 2015 – 2020; after all, the PPP/C had won Region Six and the RDC handsomely and were majority in the Council with a PPP/C elected Chairman? The answer is simple. The REO, the accounting officer, the person who decided and approved spending of RDC Six budget and who headed the Regional Tender Board, was appointed by the APNU/AFC. According to the Regional Chairman, The REO from 2015 to July 2020 did not carry out the mandate, the decisions and requests of the RDC. As such, the RDC did not get to carry out its planned works,” Dr. Mahadeo noted.

Currently, he said the RDC under a new REO is rectifying and repairing the damaged system. Within the last months of 2020, Dr. Mahadeo said works started in rehabilitating and fixing the damage done by the APNU+AFC in Region Six. “Schools and health facilities were repaired. Equipment was serviced and repaired where necessary. Streets were fixed and the communities were consulted when this 2021 budget was prepared. The development includes $293M for bridges and roads for public works; in education $237M (159M repairs of buildings; 42M on furniture and 36M on two buses); in health $235M (150M on Maternity ward, Infectious Unit NAH, Skeldon Hospital, $70M on equipment) and theatre at Skeldon Hospital,” he said. He reflected that a theatre was being constructed at Skeldon Hospital in 2014 to ‘roll-over’ for completion in 2015, but the project also felt the destructive touch of the APNU+AFC Gov’t and it was never completed.
Instead, he said other services are now being offered in that building. In 2021, “we have budgeted for an operating theatre for the Skeldon Hospital, so patients from the upper Corentyne and from up the Corentyne River, Orealla and Siparuta can get surgeries right in Skeldon,” he told the House.

Meanwhile, Dr. Mahadeo said for five years, the National Ophthalmology Hospital was allowed to deteriorate. Not only were medical equipment not working, but he also revealed that the building was leaking, air-conditions were not functioning, staff was demotivated and no consumables, drugs, and medical supplies were available. “The once national pride became a national disgrace under APNU+AFC. Mr Speaker, in 2014, there was no backlog of cataract cases in Guyana; however, to date, we have already identified over 1,200 persons who will need cataract surgery! This is an indictment on the APNU+AFC,” Dr. Mahadeo said.
He said that two weeks ago, after some major works and repairs to the building and equipment, the National Ophthalmology Hospital started doing surgeries once again, 16 cataract surgeries and Pterygium surgeries were done. “This will continue. There is hope for the cataract patients once again. Nearly $100M is budgeted to make this facility fully functional again. Mr Speaker, Guyana is rising from ruins and destruction and rising rapidly,” he told the House.