Improving people’s lives is the Govt’s aim

– Min. Todd tells Linden residents

– Citizens can expect better access to health care, education, other basic services

Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hon. Hugh Todd on Saturday said the PPP/C Government has a plan that will see Guyana’s human development being improved as citizens will have greater access to health care, education and other basic services.

Minister Todd was at the time conducting an outreach in in Linden, Region 10, where he met and interacted with residents of Block 22, One Mile and Poker Street, Wismar.

“We are here to look after your interest to move you along the Human Development Index, so that you and those who will come after you in your family will be better off than you today. And, to do that we have a Government plan that we have rolled out,” Minister Todd said.

While addressing the Block 22 residents at the Bayroc Community Centre Ground in Wismar, Minister Todd noted that Education is a fundamental to developing the country’s human capital, and as such, great emphasis will be place on achieving universal secondary education and providing free university education within the next five years. Guyana had attained universal primary education under the previous PPP/C Administration.

Part of the Government’s educational thrust is the provision of 20,000 online scholarships for citizens.  “Students within Linden will not have to travel all the way to Turkeyen to have a face-to-face education at the University, you can do it right here in Linden and earn a solid and good degree to have a good future,” the Minister said.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hon. Hugh Todd greeting a resident

In the area of health, Minister Todd said the administration has embarked on a strategy that will see the modernisation of the sector. In the interim, all health institutions are being equipped with the relevant equipment and personnel to provide quality services to citizens.

“The President did mention in his address to Parliament that he has engaged the Austrians to modernise our health sector, to have a maternal hospital, a modern facility as well as clinics across Guyana that are advanced so that we can provide more health services apart from what we do predominantly in the city. So, what we want to do is to have universal health care throughout Guyana which will include Linden,” the Minister said.

He added, “we want to achieve a healthy population and an educated population because we need to have healthy and educated people to build our country.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hon. Hugh Todd interacting with an elderly woman of Koker Street

The Minister reminded the residents of the fundamental principles under which the PPP/C was established, which is to represent the working class, the people least represented in society.

Minister Todd said the government will approach development as ‘one Guyana’ so that no region, village nor race would be left behind.

The residents also had the opportunity to raise issues and concerns. Rockrick Smith, a youth of Block 22 spoke of the need for training and job opportunities for Linden youths. Minister Todd promised to return to the region to engage the young people on the way forward in this regard. The Minister also distributed some 100 hampers to senior citizens and other vulnerable persons in the communities.

• Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hon. Hugh Todd engaging a small group of residents in One Mile
• Rockrick Smith, a youth of Block 22 raining his concerns