After months of complaints over poor working conditions and no positive response from health officials in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), doctors and nurses attached to the East Bank Demerara Regional Hospital, commonly known as the Diamond Diagnostic Centre or Diamond Hospital, staged strike action on Wednesday. During the strike, the workers demanded that their concerns be addressed. Several elderly patients were among those turned away from the Diamond Hospital as a result the ‘sit-in’ which was observed by both medical and custodial staff. Their complaints included the medical facility’s deplorable conditions…
Read MoreYear: 2017
The versatile Ite Palm
From a refreshing beverage to a tasty delicacy, the source of a staple to material for clothing, shelter and jewellery, the Ite Palm has truly been the tree of life for the indigenous society, providing all the necessities of daily living. Upon entering the Walter Roth Museum, just to the left of the entrance, one can find an interesting exhibition on the Ite Palm. Several items created from the by-products of the palm are displayed, coupled with the ecological and historical background of the tree in English and Portuguese respectively.…
Read MoreLinden taxi driver remanded to prison for alleged rape of girl, 12
The suspect in the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl from Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) has been charged and remanded to prison. Maurice Johnson, a taxi driver, appeared before Magistrate Clive Nurse at the Linden Magistrate’s Court on Monday and was remanded to prison until October 19. Reports are the incident allegedly took place on August 12. However, the defendant turned himself in to Police a little over a week ago after reportedly eluding the lawmen for some time. The prosecution is contending that the 12-year-old, who attended an…
Read MoreA Rainforest Farm
By Kendra Seignoret One of the interesting things about being able to stay a long time in one place is that you get to be a part of people’s everyday lives. And in doing so, it is more likely you will see parts of those lives that a ‘lightning strike’ tourist won’t. While volunteering in Guyana, my group and I met a woman who had a little shop in Pakuri, a Lokono village, also known as St. Cuthbert’s Mission. She had a farm, located in the surrounding rainforest. About two…
Read MoreGuyana Police Force continues efforts to reform operations
As the Guyana Police Force (GPF) continues with efforts to reform its operations, the capacity building department of the Force’s Strategic Planning Unit was commissioned on Monday and Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan called on the hierarchy of the law enforcement agency to build on its leadership and professionalism. The Minister gave this encouragement at the police officers’ training centre in Eve Leary, Georgetown, where he said that under the United Kingdom’s Security Sector Reform Programme (SSRP), the GPF would be able to implement the reforms. “Our Police Force needs…
Read MoreLinden/Georgetown hire car drivers protest relocation
Several hire car drivers plying the Linden/ Georgetown route have on Monday staged protest action outside the office of the Linden Mayor and Town Council (LM&TC) to register their opposition to a decision by the Council to relocate them from being stationed along the Co-op Crescent roadway to the Linden/Georgetown minibus park. The decision went into effect on September 1st but the dissatisfied drivers are up in arms, hoisting placards and voicing their concerns over the move, citing issues such as safety and what they described as the “ill- prepared…
Read MoreHeritage Village 2017: St Cuthbert’s Mission
Every year, during the Indigenous Heritage Month celebrations, a “heritage village” is identified, where many would converge to celebrate indigenous culture. This year we celebrate St Cuthbert’s Mission, also known as Pakuri Village, located on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway. St Cuthbert’s Mission is one of the most easily accessible indigenous villages along the East Bank. The site of this quaint village emerges after about a half-hour travel through a scenic sandy trail. On entering the village, one will quickly notice how serene it is. No noise nuisance or traffic, just village…
Read MoreCulture preservation vital in consolidating national identity
– Social Cohesion Minister Culture preservation is vital in consolidating national identity, therefore, it is imperative that we as Guyanese continue to practise the culture of our foreparents as opposed to embracing the culture of foreign countries which undoubtedly would lead down the path to identity erosion. This sentiment was expressed by Social Cohesion Minister, Dr George Norton, during the inaugural Harmony Festival on Sunday, hosted under the theme, “Inter-Denominational Unity for a Cohesive Guyana”. The event was hosted by the Social Cohesion Ministry in partnership with the Harmony Group,…
Read MoreAccomplice in botched Liliendaal robbery remanded
A 23-year-old convict who was implicated in a recent botched robbery on the Railway Embankment at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown, was on Monday arraigned at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court. Mark Griffith of 31 Sheet Anchor, Canje, Berbice, appeared before Magistrate Seepaul-Ally and was not required to plead to the indictable charge which stated that on the day in question – August 29, 2017 – he attempted to rob a businesswoman at the said location. The court also heard that earlier this year, Griffith was sentenced to two years in abstentia for…
Read MoreRemembering Stephanie Correia (1930 – 2000)
By Petamber Persaud It will never be known how many arrows were left in the quiver of Stephanie Correia when she died in 2000. But those she utilised, Correia fired with unwavering accuracy, acquiring many trophies. In whatever field of human endeavour – teaching, pottery, poetry, painting or motherhood – she participated with distinction. “Arrows from the Bow” was Correia’s first and only book of poems. Published in 1988, some 500 years after Columbus, this collection of poems may be the first of such book written in English by an…
Read More