concerned Lindeners say

CONCERNED Lindeners have expressed much disappointment with the manner in which the group of American politicians, led by Dee Dawkins-Haigler, conducted their town hall meeting in Region 10.

Rubbishing the claims of discrimination, the group of residents said they felt shunned when they tried to speak at the meeting.

These remarks were made during a live broadcast on the National Communications Network (NCN) on Friday.

Alleging that the meeting showed an evident bias, the residents shut down the claims of favouritism and Linden being left on the backburner of development by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Government.

“Town Hall meeting is about the people,” Lennox Gasper, the Municipality’s Town Clerk stated as he explained how neglected they felt during the event.

Pointing out the cloud of secrecy that surrounds the group of American politicians, he went on to say: “This fact-finding delegation is biased; they do not represent transparency. They do not represent what the US is about, which is the people and allowing the people to have a voice.”

Another resident blatantly rejected the claims of discrimination and non-development.

With the proof being in the pudding, the man said that all of President Dr. Irfaan Ali’s initiatives cater for all Guyanese, regardless of one’s political affiliation.
“The President makes sure he addresses the needs of each and every Guyanese,” the Lindener said.

He then went on to say that it was clear as daylight that the meeting was not aimed at executing what the delegation said they wanted to do.

“Everyone who had a genuine concern was stopped from talking,” the Lindener said, adding: “The fact-finding mission did not seem interested in actually engaging with residents, and that’s very sad for us today in Linden.”

Sancha Halley dispelled claims that the Charles Roza School of Nursing in Linden had been closed.

She then went on to expound on how the healthcare sector in Linden is facing rapid development, and all residents are given equal opportunities to become integrated into the framework.

In August, it was announced by Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony that almost 1,200 persons are currently being trained in the ongoing hybrid registered nursing programme.

He said that since introducing the programme, some 1,162 persons are currently undergoing the theoretical part of the training.

The hybrid programme, which will see persons undergoing theoretical training Online, and practical aspects at simulation centres across the country, was launched in June.

And, just last month, the Linden Hospital Complex received a US$130,000 state-of-the-art Digital X-ray System.
“Development is coming to every corner, every crack [and] every valley, because that is what we’re about. We’re about transforming things for every single category of Guyanese people,” President Ali affirmed.

He said that the PPP Government is making significant strides to increase the number of nurses receiving training to 3,000 from the existing total of over 1,500.

“…We’re building infrastructure to ensure that we have the capacity to at least train 3,000 nurses simultaneously all across Guyana,” President Ali said, adding:

“That is why we’re making this big investment. There is a bigger link; it is not only talking about our needs anymore.

“We are building institutions and structures far beyond [what] we require in Guyana.”

The Head-of-State has also expounded on other plans to diversify the nation’s economy, and noted that the investments in human resource skills are targetting all healthcare professionals; not only nurses.

He also pointed out the hundreds of healthcare workers benefitting under the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) scholarship programme, which is allowing Guyanese to pursue their studies at various reputable institutions.

Notably, a host of infrastructural development has been rolled out by the Health Ministry to target the health sector this year, including the establishment of several new hospitals and major upgrades to existing facilities.

Some $38.7 billion has been expended in this sector, for the first half of the year.