–hospital’s management says records prove that complaints were made to City Hall from 2015 through to 2022
–Public Works Minister says efforts underway to promote environmental health and safety, prepare the country for its next level of development

THE Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) has said that the obstruction that vending on New Market Street between Thomas and East Streets causes has become a life-threatening situation.

In setting the record straight, the management of the hospital said the dialogue to remove the vendors originated from multiple requests by the management of the GPHC to resolve this issue by relocating the vendors away from the main thoroughfare to the hospital in-patient and emergency entrances.

“Our records show that the relevant authorities were written to in 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2022 regarding this issue, sighting the threat posed by the obstruction of the traffic, particularly for ambulant vehicles and patients who are seeking care at the GPHC,” the hospital said in a release, adding: “While the requests for relocation of these vendors predate the current discourse, the situation has worsened over the years and now requires urgent and tactical action.”

In May 2015, then Chief Executive Officer, Michael Khan cited the need for an immediate intervention to mitigate any “unfortunate incidents as a result of the cluttering at the gates.”

In February 2016, then CEO (ag), Allan Johnson, wrote to the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) requesting the relocation of the eight vendors who “impede the smooth flow of pedestrians…” followed by another correspondence from CEO Khan in October 2016, noting that “ambulances encounter difficulty maneuvering their way in and out of the hospital.”

More recently, former CEO, Brigadier (ret’d) George Lewis wrote to the M&CC in September 2019, requesting an audience to discuss solutions to the blocking of the hospital’s access roads, followed by another letter to the Georgetown Mayor, Ubraj Narine, in November 2022 from CEO (ag), Robbie Rambarran, requesting a meeting to discuss “vending in the vicinity of the GPHC.”

“For the GPHC, this has always been a matter of access to care – the presence of vendors along these streets has often delayed, particularly ambulant patients, from accessing the services they need in a timely manner.

“As the primary trauma care provider in the city, we cannot underscore enough the importance of having unencumbered access to our facility for our patients and their relatives. The risk that this obstruction poses is too great to ignore; for ambulant, pregnant and trauma patients, time is a critical determinant in their medical management and any imminent delays should be abated,” GPHC said.

The inundation of unauthorised street vending along the New Market and East Street pavements not only congests the pathways for ambulances and ambulant patients, but it also poses a challenge for keeping the hospital’s environs clean and impacts noise nuisance for patients in the hospital, as persons who stop in their vehicles to purchase from the vendors aggravate drivers who resort to excessively shouting and blowing their horns.

“The life-threatening situation is further compounded because the obstruction also delay staff from accessing the hospital compound.

“These conditions are not conducive to the effective functioning of any medical facility, particularly the GPHC. We understand that the vendors must make a living, but the presence of vendors on New Market Street between Thomas and East Streets now constitute a real life-threatening situation. The uncontrolled vending on New Market Street is a real detriment to our staff, patients, and their relatives. The GPHC looks forward to a swift solution by removing the obstruction that presently affects easy access to the hospital,” GPHC said.

Tangible efforts, on Monday evening, to remove the illegal stalls, carts and other encumbrances were obstructed by persons influenced by APNU+AFC representatives, who were also among the aggravated persons.

“I have noticed that a matter of ensuring the free flow of access to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), Guyana’s premier national medical institution has now gone into deep politics, bordering on racism and a diatribe loaded with religious bigotry.

“The Mayor of Georgetown and other APNU+AFC activists seem to have forgotten that health and access to health care, when required, is not something that should be determined by political action,” Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill said in a statement on Tuesday.

The government, through the Ministry of Public Works in collaboration with many public and private sector stakeholders, has embarked on a mission to promote environmental health and safety and to prepare the country for its next level of development.

“That being said, for our continual growth and progress, we simply cannot keep practicing that which we have becomes accustomed to, especially when it is the wrong thing. The removal of encumbrances along New Market Street needed to be done, it was only a matter of when, and this action will serve in the best interest of every Guyanese who must use our premier health facility, even those who seem to want to politicise this matter,” Edghill said.

He added: “Whenever persons need to get to the hospital, they must be able to get there without hindrances, to access needed treatment, and to fully recover and continue living a meaningful life.”

It is for this reason that the “irrational and illogical action” on the part of some APNU+AFC activists who assembled at New Market Street on Monday night, to prevent the removal of the caravans and encumbrances, must be seen for what it is: “Anti-progress, anti-patriotic and anti-development.”