December 25, 2024

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Regional Chairman knocks Region Ten healthcare system

-L-R Regional Vice Chairman, Douglas Gittens and Regional Chairman, Deron Adams

ANGRY, disappointed and frustrated, Chairman of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC)
Region Ten, Deron Adams blasted the poor and inefficient management of the Region Ten
healthcare system as a guest on the programme ‘Inside the Ring’ hosted by AFC Member of
Parliament (MP) Sherod Duncan.
Wearied by the “flood of concerns and complaints” from ordinary residents and healthcare
professionals working in the bauxite-mining town, Chairman Adams said he reached saturation
point.
“I am disappointed, I am angry, I am frustrated now I am a Regional Chairman that is in the
fields most of the time. I visited health centres and I am surprised that none of the health centres,
through a donation of the SB Foundation we were able through the Regional Chairman’s office
to donate PPE gears and facemasks all across the region,” Adams said.
During the interview he told MP Duncan that Lindeners have extended the olive branch to the
Irfaan Ali regime to help improve relations between the two sides following the brutal 2020
National and Regional polls.
Linden is a traditional stronghold of the main opposition A Partnership for National Unity
(APNU).
Regional Health Officer (RHO) Dr Gregory Harris performance so far is wretched and his
leadership needs urgent and immediate attention. Hefty sums are spent on non-working spray
shouts at several faculties; there are inadequate amounts of facemasks, face shields and hand
sanitizers in the Region forcing throngs of healthcare workers to bombard his office for help.
“I am surprised the health workers, officials and others are calling me complaining that there are
no facemasks, no face shields, no hand sanitisers at the various health centres. As a matter of
fact, I would have just seen these facemasks and fancy spray shouts that you walk through and
get spray down from COVID I am thinking that it’s close to a million dollars for these spray

shouts and none is working in the region, but we have the administration paying persons for
these things and they are not operational,” Adams said during the live broadcast.
Adams noted that the situation is worse at the Upper Demerara Regional Hospital, revealing that
while none of the health centres has adequate PPEs and face masks, the spray shout at the
hospital isn’t working telling his audience not to take his criticisms politically.
“At the Upper Demerara Regional Hospital, I turned up and noticed that the Shout is not
working, nurses on the front line have complained that they were told to register as front-line
workers for extra financial support and now officials are denying ever giving nurses this
instruction.
“Clearly somebody is lying ad this is unacceptable. I think that this is only happening in Region
Ten. There is no politics in my book with health and education as we will continue to work
hard,” Adams stressed.
More residents in the depressed municipality need dialysis treatment and the RC is concerned
about the long waiting time to commence the procedure.
“Under the David Granger-led administration and Minister Volda Lawrence we were
instrumental in setting up a dialysis centre in Region Ten but to my surprise that centre has not
become operational as yet. We have persons who are on dialysis still have to travel to
Georgetown and pay $15,000 for a session. Patients need three treatments per week,” the
Chairman said.
“I have pleaded! I have written! I have called out!” with no success, Adams complained.