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AFC Councillor peeved over ‘white elephant’ x-ray building
Government about two years ago invested a sizeable sum to construct a building dedicated for x-rays at the Parika, East
AFC Councillor, Harry Narine Deokinanan
Bank Demerara, Health Centre. However, the multi-million-dollar structure, which was reportedly constructed by a contractor affiliated to the ruling administration, has never been used.
At least this is based on investigations carried out by Alliance for Change (AFC) Region Three Councillor, Harry Narine Deokinanan.
The Councillor revealed that soon after the completion of the building, moves were made to procure an x-ray machine from the International Pharmaceutical Agency. The machine was installed and, like the building, it has remained a “white elephant.”
This state of affairs, according to Deokinanan, is not only indicative of gross corruption, but also a clear demonstration of how taxpayers are taken advantage of, since it is their hard-earned dollars that were used to construct the facility and purchase the machine.
The situation has been described as disturbing by Deokinanan, who opted to highlight his concerns when the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region Three held its most recent statutory meeting.
At the very meeting, too, which was attended by Regional Chairman, Julius Faerber, and Regional Executive Officer, Mr Donald Gajraj and other Councillors, a request was made by Deokinanan for an investigation to be launched.
Deokinanan said the request was made in light of the fact that the failure to utilise the facility has resulted in the poor people from a number of areas, including Hog Island, Troolie Island, Bonasika, Fort Island, Hubu, Parika Backdam, among several others, being forced to travel all the way to the West Demerara Regional Hospital for x-ray services.
“What this situation suggests is that the administration does not care about the poor people of this Region. They can’t care only about themselves and their comrades in high places…the people in this Region (Region Three) are also important,” said Deokinanan.
The AFC Councillor is calling on the ruling administration to ensure that its operation is transparent since, according to him, it is becoming increasingly evident that many People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) Councillors, their relatives and/or friends, are in the business of contracting. This, he intimated, is perhaps a deliberate tactic for contracts to be awarded to a certain group, even as he pointed out that there are many works undertaken that are marred with some controversy or the other.
The x-ray building reportedly constructed two years ago.
Regional Chairman Faerber has promised to have all of Deokinanan’s concerns addressed.
It was the AFC Councillor who recently brought to the attention of the Region Three Administration, and subsequently this newspaper, that the Bonasika Health Outpost was operating without electricity for more than two years.
The health facility is one that was outfitted some years ago with a solar panel which is powered by battery. However, for about two and a half years, the facility had been in need of a battery to power the solar panel, and therefore it functioned without any form of electricity, a state of affairs that obviously affected the delivery of proper health care.
However, three days after the matter was highlighted in this publication, Deokinanan informed that moves were made to install a new battery, thereby allowing for electricity service to be restored to the facility.
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