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Dr. Ramsammy absent from health assignment, state media turns up

May 20, 2009 News

Following speculations that the state media has been restricted from giving any media coverage to Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, this newspaper has been reliably informed that the Government Information Agency (GINA), the National Communications Network (NCN Channel 11) and the Guyana National Newspapers Limited (Chronicle) have been instructed by the Publicity Unit of the Office of the President not to provide any media coverage to the Health Minister.
This newspaper sought to get a comment on the matter from Head of GINA, Neaz Subhan, who said that he cannot say anything on the matter, and referred this publication to the Publicity Unit, being headed by Kwame McCoy and Dr Prem Misir.
Mr. McCoy, when contacted on the matter promised to return a telephone call, explaining the situation, but thus far, this has not happened. A source close to the operations of GINA told Kaieteur News that the editors at GINA have been instructed not to publish any stories quoting the Health Minister, but they can publish stories quoting Junior Minister of health, Dr. Bheri Ramsarran.
This newspaper had raised this very issue with Minister Ramsammy earlier in the year, when it was observed that the state media has not been present at any of his assignments or press conferences since the beginning of the year.
Surprisingly the state media turned out in full yesterday at the Regency Suites to give coverage to the Health Services Pandemic Preparedness Course. Minister Ramsammy was not present at this event, and Kaieteur News was informed that this is the main reason why the state media decided to cover the event.
Recently, Minister Ramsammy expressed his disappointment with the actions of the state media, who have not been giving adequate coverage to his press conferences since the beginning of the year.
Dr. Ramsammy noted that he has been receiving complaints from persons they have not been hearing of the work and measures that are being implemented by the Ministry of Health as it relates to the H1N1 virus.
“I am saying it openly and bluntly, that they should be here because we need to get the information to the people. This is not about me. It is the media that has to inform and educate the people.”
The Health Minister had explained that he is not interested in receiving coverage for himself, but the information is what is important, and the public has a right to be educated and aware of what the Ministry is involved in.
“I am hoping that the state media can understand my position on this issue.”
In March, Minister Ramsammy in responding to questions posed by reporters, had said that he is not aware that the state media has been banned from covering any events relating to his Ministry.
He had admitted though that their absence does not help his cause in reaching out to the public.
Minister Ramsammy had said, “I think the state media is doing a disservice to the people of Guyana when it chooses not to cover events of the Ministry of Health.”
This newspaper also understands that government ministers have complained at the Cabinet level that Minister Ramsammy is receiving more media coverage from the state media than them.
During the leptospirosis warning period, no coverage was given to the Health Minister by the state media when he was issuing advisories to flood prone communities urging citizens to take precaution against any disease that they might pick up during the floods earlier in the year.

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