Former A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Member of Parliament (MP) Richard Allen said the increasing cases of vomiting and diarrhoea at Port Kaituma, North West District are of grave concern.
He said the gastroenteritis like symptoms have landed several persons, including children in the Port Kaituma Regional Hospital for the last two months.
Approximately one year ago, more than 500 residents of Port Kaituma and neighbouring communities within the North West District fell ill with gastroenteritis. Three children reportedly died from the disease.
Reports from the Health Ministry at the time indicated that residents had consumed contaminated water from the river and a nearby well. It was also stated that the waterways were polluted with results showing the presence of a high level of E coli bacteria.
According to Allen, the situation in Port Kaituma has remained the same, with piles of garbage along the river bank. Despite residents were warned against the construction of latrines in proximity of the river and upper hill, he said these structures can still be seen in almost all parts of the community. According to him, little is done for the people of Port Kaituma; hence, their standard of living remains very low.
But Health Minister, Dr Bheri Ramsaran told Guyana Times International that while there are recorded cases of vomiting and diarrhoea in the district, they have not reached an alarming state. Dr Ramsaran said the NWD, like the other regions, is being monitored frequently. But, he too expressed concerns about the existing latrines and open defecation which can pollute the river.
Complacency
According to the Health Minister, Cabinet was recently informed that another outbreak struck Port Kaituma and communities such as Canal Bank, Citrus Grove and Oronoque, due to complacency.
Opposition Leader David Granger said too that another outbreak can hit the NWD. While the Health Ministry’s records show that three children might have died due to the disease between February and March 2013; Granger has contended that about 10 children died.
In June 2013, APNU and the Alliance for Change (AFC) used their collectively one-seat majority in the National Assembly to pass a motion for the setting up of a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) to investigate the gastroenteritis outbreak in Region One.
However, the motion at the time was passed without the support of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C). Minister Ramsaran had argued that the government quickly responded to the outbreak, noting that the ministries of local government and regional development, housing and water and natural resources, with support from the Civil Defence Commission, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had given the Health Ministry unwavering support during this period. To date, the commission has not been established.
