The return of the prodigals

Apr 26, 2011 Editorial

More Guyanese have come home in a long time for this the Easter season and it just goes to show that negative publicity or not, people will always come home because as they say, home is where the heart is. Some of these people have been preparing since last year and some even bought their tickets for this visit some time last year.
Whenever Guyanese come in their numbers they do something for the national economy. They bring with them foreign currency that boosts the flow of foreign funds into the country. They also add to the festive mood because they come to relax and enjoy the atmosphere and whatever they bring with them is contagious. Whatever, their mood is infectious.
It would be interesting to see how many people came this time around. One may assume that more people have come for Easter that they did for Mashramani. What is revealing is that many of them have taken the opportunity to investigate the possibility of resettling in the land of their birth.
Those who already had homes here before they left took time to contemplate modifications. The others investigated the possibility of getting house lots and of even buying homes.
We have met with a number of these holidaying Guyanese and to a man they have all been asking about opportunities to return. Indeed these are the older ones who are approaching the end of their working lives in their adopted countries. They would have acquired homes over there and many have said that they would sell those homes and return home.
But they have also expressed a worry about medical care. They feel that medical attention in Guyana is not at a level with which they are comfortable. Indeed, they have been told about the influx of doctors from Cuba and they have been told about the advances being made at the national hospitals. However, they insist that they are not confident that these doctors are capable of properly diagnosing their health problems.
Their concerns may be justified because within recent times there have been many questions asked about the stated causes of death. People have even gone so far as to question the findings of post mortem examinations.
And despite the influx of doctors, people reporting to the major referral centre—the Georgetown Public Hospital—still complain about being able to access doctors in a timely manner. Some have been known to go to the Georgetown Public Hospital and before they could be triaged they would leave to go to a private medical facility.
Many of those who do this have relatives who live overseas and the offended party may be responsible for the fears that the visitors have.
There is something else about the people who have come home. They look at the education system and compare it to what prevailed before they left. Many were prepared to leave their children behind to complete their secondary education before moving them to the adopted country.
Today, these people are finding that children are at a disadvantage because the language they speak and write is certainly not English and their ability to do Maths is almost non- existent. The school system in Guyana has deteriorated despite the millions of dollars spent by the administration. Because of this people now leave with their children.
And this is really serious because the younger people are when they leave a country the more difficult is it for them to relate to the land of their birth. These are the ones who do not return.
So we return to those who have demonstrated a readiness to return home. The government knows about these people and has even allocated house lots at a special rate for them. There are other benefits to the country. These people will not burden the system because they are coming with their own finances and will actually enhance the national coffers.
At worse they would put pressure on the administration to improve the health system.
But are we ready to welcome these people? We may argue that they gave their best years to another country but they will argue that they provided money for national development and reduced the burden on the state.

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