Truthful RHO and REdO help avert strike by Kwakwani teachers

TWO SENIOR Region Ten officials help avert industrial action by teachers by admitting hiding
the Corona Virus status of an employee of a live-in secondary school at Kwakwani (Upper
Demerara/Berbice).
Regional Health Officer (RHO) Dr. Gregory Harris and newly-appointed Regional Education
Officer (REdO) Mr. Akbar Chindu finally came clean acknowledging that the head cook in the
dorm at Kwakwani Secondary School contracted the contagious and deadly COVID-19 disease
and was allowed to remain on the job.
This cavalier decision put students, teachers and community members at risk of also contracting
the virus from the infected cook.
COVID-19 has so far killed some 150 Guyanese since the deadly virus was first diagnosed here
early March.
Outraged staff of the Secondary School at Kwakwani, in Berbice, threatened to strike unless the
authorities stepped in. Head Mistress of the school, Ms. Pamela Adrian, teachers claimed, has
been ignoring their grave concerns and fears.
“We have a major situation as the teachers are alleging that the Headteacher is allowing the head
cook to traverse the venue daily, while she was tested positive and this is not safe for the teachers
to be in the same environment with this individual and others. They (teachers) are enquiring as to
why nothing has been done about this situation and they told me as the Regional Vice Chairman
that they are determined in striking or staying away if nothing is done about it,” Mr. Douglas
Gittens said.
Cavalierly allowing the infected cook to roam the school environment “cannot be allowed as it
poses a great risk to others and something has to be done about it and the teachers want answers
and they deserve answers,” Vice Chairman Gittens argued.

Gittens is unhappy that HM Adrian is sugar coating and putting a nice face on a potentially
deadly situation in the school and wider Berbice communities.
“The Headteacher when asked about the situation at the school presents a nice image and gives
lovely answers when in fact, she hides the current situation and the fact that teachers are fearful
… of being on the job. They reached out to me and I promised them to raise it at this (the last
statutory RDC) meeting” for 2020.
RHO Dr Harris promised RDC members that all persons working at the dormitory would be
tested for the deadly virus and to ensure that appropriate systems are put in place to prevent any
future recurrence.
Chairman of the Education Committee, Ms. Carol Benjamin was stunned when the issue was
raised at the RDC statutory meeting.
“As the Chairman of the Education committee this is the first time that such an issue is before me
as I never heard about it prior to today,” Ms. Benjamin said.
For his part, REdO Akbar Chindu informed the Council that after he was notified about the
crisis, he immediately contacted the RHO for urgent action.
“I was indeed informed about the situation however I immediately contacted Dr Harris as
the RHO and relayed all the information that I had received on the situation so that they
can take the appropriate action,” Chindu explained.