RC, REO and RHO on collision course

THE THREE TOP officials in the Regional system continue on a collision course this time
precipitated by the COVID-19 status of workers at a health centre in Upper Demerara/Berbice
(Region Ten).
Regional Chairman, Deron Adams has had enough of the conduct and performance (or lack of it)
of Regional Executive Officer (REO), Mr. Dwight John and his Regional Health Officer (RHO)
Dr Gregory Harris and made his feelings known at this month’s Regional Democratic Council
(RDC) meeting at the Watooka Guest House.
“Even though it was early Friday evening I thought that this matter was sufficiently important I
decided to write the RHO and copied the letter to the REO and the Honourable Minister of
Health (Dr Frank Anthony) pointing out that ‘while they have indicated that efforts are underway
to have the physical facility sanitised it is important that the welfare of the people and their
clients engaged there are addressed as well. As such, given the importance and urgency of this
issue, the Council requested your provision of clear details on the established protocols for
dealing with a situation like this which clearly was envisaged and prepared for’,” he said.
Continuing, the Regional Chairman said that while he appreciated the fact that the weekend
provided the health department with an opportunity to address several issues, he is still looking
forward to the RHO’s urgent response which was very important in ensuring that the
constituency is properly advised.

Adams made it clear that he is peeved over the conduct and behaviour of the REO and the RHO
which he emphasised are very “unprofessional and disrespectful to his office and the people of
the Region.”
The RC accused the REO and RHO of foot dragging when notified of the COVID-19 status of an
employee at the One Mile Health Centre which he blamed for three other employees contracting
the deadly, contagious virus.

“Sad to say just like several other letters written to the REO and the RHO and now after a week
has elapsed, I am yet to receive a response to this missive. Fast forward to yesterday (Wed Feb
3 rd) I learnt that three more employees have tested positive for COVID 19, this means that if they
were ten employees at the health centre on Friday last, they would have had a one in ten chance
of exposure, while being at work, but because of the reluctance of persons managing the
Regional Health Sector to address critical issues at work, these employees now have a four in ten
chance of exposure at work to COVID. This means that it also increases the risk of persons
seeking medical care at the facility since the advice to quarantine several of the staff there were
ignored and they were allowed to continue providing service to the community,” the outraged
RC declared.

Adams is demanding answers for the conduct and tardy response of the REO and RHO.
“The RDC doesn’t claim specialist medical knowledge but we wrote to seek information on the
correct medical protocol of the employees in a situation just like this and did not receive clear,
precise guidance as is requested. What is clear however is that the current approach is
endangering the health and welfare of our constituents. We have taken an oath to protect and
represent the interest of the residents,” the RC reminded.
He reminded John and Harris that the Region has reached saturation point with their languid
behaviour which continues to endanger the lives of the mineral rich region’s 40,000 residents.
At the meeting, Dr Harris staunchly defended himself: “Let it be known that the staff member
hadn’t contracted COVID at the health centre, they had visited somewhere else and that is where
they contracted COVID.”
He also denied the RC’s claim that more workers contracted the deadly virus at the health centre.
He also chastised Adams Public Relations (PR) preference for handling COVID-19 issues in
Region Ten.
“We had a similar case at Christianburg and many of you didn’t know because it was done
the way it was supposed to – professionally. Someone called and we went in and established

all protocols, and that situation went through and that individual is now back at work. The
same thing could have happened at One Mile,” Harris counselled.