–Human Services Minister says teams remain on the ground across eight affected regions

MINISTER of Human Services and Social Security, Dr Vindhya Persaud, has said that around 75 social workers, counsellors and psychologists have been deployed across the country to provide psychosocial support to families, survivors and others affected by the MV Barima tragedy.
Dr Persaud made this disclosure during the most recent episode of the Starting Point podcast, during which she said that psychosocial intervention began immediately following the tragedy, with teams from the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security and the Ministry of Health mobilised and deployed to affected communities.
She said the response also involved the Ministry of Education in Region One, while psychologists were drawn primarily from the Mental Health Unit of the Ministry of Health, along with psychologists attached to the Human Services Ministry.
“Across the country, on the ground in the affected regions, we have 75 officers, social workers, counsellors and psychologists,” Dr Persaud said.
According to the minister, the teams have been working to reach not only the immediate relatives of those who died or remain unaccounted for, but also survivors, children and members of wider family networks.
She said that the complexity of family structures and the fact that many affected persons are from hinterland communities presented challenges to ensuring that everyone received support.
Dr Persaud said teams had to track family members who were scattered across different locations, while continuing to update their database and coordinate with regional authorities. The psychosocial response has also extended beyond face-to-face counselling.
She said two toll-free hotlines were established early in the response to allow affected persons to access support even when officers were not physically present.
The hotlines remain operational, with support available until 10 p.m. daily, she said, urging persons directly or indirectly affected by the tragedy to make use of the services.
Counselling hubs have also been established across the eight affected regions, including at Ministry of Human Services locations, Hope and Justice centres and other Ministry offices.
Dr Persaud said social workers and counsellors have accompanied affected families throughout different stages of the response, including travel to the hinterland, visits to hospitals and mortuaries, and referrals for further mental-health support.
She further stressed that the psychosocial response cannot be viewed as a short-term intervention, noting that the nature of the tragedy has left deep emotional scars.
“This is a long-term approach,” the minister said while emphasising the need for continued support as families work through the different stages of grief and trauma.