Ramsammy demands MP Figueira apologise

HEALTH MINISTRY ADVISOR Dr LESLIE RAMSAMMY is demanding opposition
legislator Jermaine Figueira apologise for his public utterance that herbal medicines prevent the
spread of the highly contagious and deadly COVID-19.
“There is absolutely no evidence that there is any meaningful impact of herbal medicine on
COVID-19. For Mr. Figueira to indicate that there are people that he knows that have used
herbal medicine and have been cured is even more reckless,” Ramsammy said.
He said Figuera Figueira must seek forgiveness from both the people of Upper
Demerara/Berbice (Region 10) and all of Guyana for spreading misinformation.
“Guyana is utilising public health measures including masking, sanitisation, social distancing,
the use of vaccines, they are all based on scientific evidence. Science drives the policy and the
measures that we use, there is no evidence in any country that herbal medicines prevent the
spread of COVID-19,” the Health Advisor to Minister, Dr Frank Anthony, said.
In a recent Department of Public Information (DPI) interview, Ramsammy said legislator
Figueira’s statement is nothing short of reckless, irresponsible and unscientific.
Last week, Dr Karen Cummings, Shadow Minister of Health in the parliamentary opposition, A
Partnership for National Unity, Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) urged Guyanese to get
inoculated.
Ramsammy reminded Figueira of his party’s position.
“The party that he represents in parliament is on record to say that vaccination works. The
Leader of the Opposition himself is on record to say he took the vaccine, and he urges citizens to
take the vaccine. The previous Minister within the Ministry of (Public) Health Dr. Karen
Cummings, who is also an MP, has over the last 48 hours reiterated the call for people to take the

vaccine. MP Figueira himself took the vaccine, as did the Leader of the Opposition and all of the
MPs both in government and in parliament.”.
“The fact that 325, 000 Guyanese have taken a first dose is encouraging, but at the same time we
see a large number of persons have not taken the vaccine. We can’t talk about doing scientific
study to stop something that is killing us now, because when those results come, even if it comes
out positive, that they work, people will already be dead. We have to use what we have now.
That does not mean that we cannot do the research. We can do that. People are doing that
research now,” he said.
As Chairman of the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Figueira should be more
responsible, Ramsammy maintained.
“For an MP to go to a region that has the lowest vaccination rate, and that is among the localities
where daily Covid cases emerge, and telling them that we can use herbal medicine as (an)
alternative, is using the constituents as collateral damage, and putting lives of people,” at risk,
Ramsammy said.
What opposition legislator Figueira has done is “absolutely irresponsible. It is
reprehensible,” former health minister Ramsammy said.