PRIME Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, has assured that the three men charged in connection with the MV Barima tragedy are continuing to receive psychosocial support, noting that they remain registered as survivors of the maritime disaster despite the criminal proceedings against them.
The Prime Minister made this disclosure during Tuesday’s press conference where he provided members of the media with an update on the MV Barima incident.
He stated that the government has taken a non-discriminatory approach in providing counselling and other psychosocial services to everyone listed as survivors of the July 18 tragedy.
“The persons who are charged, they are also listed as survivors, and they are also listed on the survivors register,” Phillips said.
He explained that all persons on the survivors’ register are receiving counselling regardless of whether they have been charged in connection with the incident.
“We do not differentiate between whether you are charged and you are a survivor or whether you’re a survivor and you’re not being charged. Everybody listed on that register receives counselling,” he stated.
Addressing questions about how the accused are accessing the services while on remand, the Prime Minister said counselling is being provided in prison.
“They are receiving [it] in prison. You have welfare officers who work in prison, so whether they are detained and have passed through the court and they’re in prison, they will still have access to all the necessary psychosocial care, counselling, etcetera. I can assure you of that,” Phillips said.
He made this known as earlier on Tuesday, three men were remanded to prison after being jointly charged with murder in relation to the sinking of the MV Barima.
The July 18 tragedy claimed dozens of lives after the vessel, which was travelling from Georgetown to Port Kaituma, capsized off the Essequibo Coast, making it the deadliest maritime disaster in Guyana’s modern history.
Since the disaster, the government has deployed teams to provide counselling and psychosocial assistance to survivors and grieving relatives as part of the national response to the tragedy.