Vanessa Kissoon paints grim picture of Region 10

A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Member of Parliament (MP), Vanessa Kissoon on Tuesday flayed the government for not addressing the lack of job opportunities for young people in Linden. According to Kissoon, the health sector in the mining town is also inefficient.

Kissoon, one of two APNU MPs representing Region 10, made the comments during her contribution to this year’s budget debate on Tuesday. She said the proposed budget represents “hardship and stress” for residents.

Kissoon said the debates provide an opportunity for the government and the combined opposition to reexamine the budget.

Addressing issues in her region, Kissoon said while over Gy$ 16 billon has been spent on the health sector; the Linden Hospital Complex was still in a deplorable state. She noted the “five million dollar furnace for the destruction of sharps has not been working for eight months”.

She said sharps currently being stored in a shed are smelly due to improper disposal and open sewage. While the hospital cannot dispose of needles and other sharps correctly, Kissoon said drugs with short shelf life are “dumped at the hospital”.

She was adamant that “many of the drugs are outdated” and “patients are cramped together in a room that only comfortably holds 10 persons”.

Another issue at the Linden Hospital for residents Kissoon noted was the language barrier between doctors and nurses. She said some of the doctors do not speak English.

Water situation

Additionally, Kissoon stated that much like healthcare, the water situation was the same. The regional representative stated that residents were “still receiving iron-filled water through their taps”, because the government “refuses to train persons who would be able to properly mix the alloys and lime to cause the chlorination to be effective”. She added that only five of the six water treatment plants in the region are operational.

“Taxpayers’ money too good for Region 10”, Kissoon stated passionately.

She stated that it can be seen even when looking at Linden Legal Aid, and the government’s refusal to fund this chapter although they fund the Guyana Legal Aid. For 2011, Kissoon stated that the Linden Legal Aid service assisted over 1000 residents. Kissoon wrapped up her presentation by bemoaning the Region 10 Regional Democratic Council’s (RDC) lack of autonomy to administer change.

She said the RDC “must be given the scope to execute its mandate and to seek developmental initiatives on behalf of residents of Region 10”. Currently, the Region 10 RDC is being crippled by central government, she claimed, and said the RDC should have “input for issuance of house lots”, as in this way, the region could see actual results.