Widower floored by Ministry’s stinginess.

$200,000, a tent and some chairs. Is that your final answer?
This is value determined by the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs for the life and service of
Nursing Assistant, Ms. Marie Thomas-Pryce, after she died from COVID-19.
Her husband, Mr. Albert Pryce, recalled how dumbfounded he was when the Permanent
Secretary (PS) Ms. Sharon Hicks, unveiled the offer in the presence of Amerindian Affairs
Minister, Ms. Pauline Sukhai.
Mr. Pryce said he was floored by what was said by the government team after the preposterous
proposal was made.
“They told me that I lucky as they don’t usually give that amount of money, and I should be
thankful (that) I also got some tables and chairs.”
“There is always this talk that frontline worker are very important today, and I felt proud that my
wife was a frontline worker. But the way I was treated by the PS (Ms. Hicks) at the Ministry of
Amerindian Affairs in the presence of the Minister (Pauline Sukhai) made me feel as though my
wife was disrespected.”
Pryce appealed passionately to Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, to ensure that frontline
healthcare workers who die in the line of duty be treated with more respect and dignity.
“My wife was a nursing assistant yes but she did almost everything and I think that the Ministry
should have buried my wife, they should have stood all the expenses as while my wife had
COVID, I was not positive,” he related.
Pryce said that his wife was a contracted worker and was experiencing difficulties getting it
renewed. He said a few weeks before she died, she was sent home by the Ministry which claimed
that they had received numerous complaints against her from patients.

However, her bewildered husband noted that in all the ‘complaints’ that the ministry allegedly
received, his late wife was never sent a warning letter, or, more so, confronted with the
allegations.
Pryce said his wife was devastated by the spurious assertions levelled against her and concluded
it was a red herring to distract from their planned termination of her services.
“My wife was told to go home and not to return until they called her. She was terribly hurt as she
gave of her best every day there,” said Mr. Pryce.
His late wife was recalled with the promise of a new contract only after another worker fell ill.
“The week my wife discovered that she got COVID she had said to me that it would be her last
week working if they had not sorted out her contract issue. She was prepared to stay at home as
she had made it known that she cannot be turning out to work every day without a contract.
However later that week she found out that she has COVID and that was it. My wife was sent
home and didn’t get a letter when she was sent home,” he noted.
That Minister Sukhai and PS Hicks grudgingly approved just $200,000 and tossed in a tent and
few tables and chairs as the government’s backing in their time of sorrow, further wounded the
grieving Pryce. To rub salt in their deep wounds, not a single senior Ministry of Amerindian
Affairs official showed up at the funeral, Pryce complained.
“It’s very disrespectful and hurtful that somebody who worked on the frontline, and when they
die in the line of duty you only give them $200,000.00 along with some chairs and tables. What
hurt the most, is that not one senior official saw it fitting to pay respect at my wife’s funeral. At
least somebody from the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs where she worked could have come to
the funeral,” Mr. Pryce reasoned.
“Only her (immediate) work colleagues attended her funeral. I am so angry and hurt right now to
see after all these years my wife was treated in this way,” a visibly-upset Pryce said.
Before her death, she disclosed her gratuity was still outstanding. However, the Amerindian
Affairs Ministry is disputing her claims.

“While lying in hospital my wife said to me, ‘Junior the Ministry has my gratuity and two
months’ salary for me’. I intend to pursue my wife's benefits to ensure that our three children can
get what belongs to them,” Pryce assured.
“My wife died and left three children ages 12, 9 and four-years-old. As a taxi driver, it will not
be easy taking care in these children by myself. I would like the ministry to see how they can
assist at least her children in anyway, because her family was her pride and joy, and seeing her
children being treated this way is not what she would have wanted,” he declared.
“I think that what was given to me for my wife’s burial was very unfair, but my wife had always
said that the PS doesn’t like her. Is 10 years of service that my wife gave to the ministry worth
only this as she was treated as though she was of no importance to them when she was alive?”
He said that while he met with the Minister and the PS, he was disappointed to see that they were
trying to give him the impression that his wife didn’t contract the disease on her worksite.
“The Minister and PS sat there in the boardroom and sought to give me the impression that it was
not at work that my wife got COVID. She had no underlying problems and I am still in disbelief
(about her hospitalisation) and her death.”
“I hope that no other nurse's husband or family goes through this level and kind of
(mis)treatment that my wife suffered. (The nursing profession) was her love and passion.
Her love for helping people is what saw her returning to work even though her new
contract had not been finalised,” Pryce recalled.