At this crucial juncture, health workers are being ruthlessly misled

Oct 05, 2020 Letters

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DEAR EDITOR,
Following an examination of President Donald Trump last Friday, he was diagnosed as testing positive for COVID-19 and was transferred to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. He is being treated with an experimental antibody drug which is meant to provide the body’s immune system with a temporary but immediate boost to fight off the coronavirus. The drug cocktail is a combination of two so-called monoclonal antibodies. Monoclonal antibodies are made in a lab to mimic the body’s natural antibodies. Antibodies act by recognizing specific germs – in this case, SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 – and harnessing the immune system to fight them off. The therapy, though still unknown, is considered to be one of the most promising treatment options for the illness. It was President Trump who had down played the intensity of this deadly pandemic from its inception and failed to act appropriately, endangering all of America. The scenario is similar in Guyana’s context with the past caretaker president, David Granger, who was ill-prepared to execute a rigid programme that should have included a prevention, protection, diagnosing, caring and follow-up exercise. Granger was unconcerned about the true welfare of the nation and was more interested in securing and regaining financial and political power at the cost of the lives of people. Moreso, his infrastructure that was set up was more aligned in name sake basis only, versus a service oriented structure. It was another loophole for financial drainage from the already depleted treasury. Luckily, spirited minded Guyanese came together with various organizations to bolster support and muster selfless service to prepare and package food hampers for distribution to the needy throughout Guyana. Those patriots must be commended for their magnificent efforts. The APNU+AFC government was all talk and no walk from the beginning. That government had failed to help the under privileged at a dire time of their real need. Meanwhile, the spread of the virus was multiplying and a careless government was recklessly exposing the public to further danger, by deliberately encouraging the mass to gather in various forums without taking all the necessary preventative measures. It was President Trump who had mocked Joe Biden for being scared and wearing a mask all the time. His constant lies is reminiscing Granger’s performance. Guyanese will not forget nor will they forgive the PNC/R for dragging an entire nation through “hell and high water” for that gruesome period that stretched for some 18 horrifying and deplorable months.
As the world continues to perfect a guarantee cure for this deadly disease, many conglomerate corporations are set to rake in billions of dollars in profit shortly, following the costly marketing of vaccines that are potentially manufactured for sale and distribution. On the other side of the coin, many of the global famous philanthropists, are deploying billions of dollars towards the production and free distribution of a cure. Leading billionaires included are the world’s richest people. This race for an early production has led to some degree of friendly uncomfortableness between rivals and co-partners. Noteworthy was the friction noted between Bill Gates and Elon Musk, the second and third wealthiest people on earth, pipped by Jeff Bezos. While their public spats may not always be serious, they do appear to fundamentally disagree about the coronavirus – and as major players in virus treatment and an eventual vaccine to protect against it, their clashes carry even more weight. Musk recently called Gates a “knucklehead” for criticizing his coronavirus response and Gates referred to Musk’s comments on the outbreak as “outrageous.” Even White House coronavirus task force Dr. Anthony Fauci, are at opposite ends with President Trump and his opinions. In Guyana, Dr. Frank Anthony is daily under the attack for not having a more rigid programme to handle this pandemic and seeing the death rate escalating at a very high and dangerous rate. Inheriting an ill equipped task force from the caretaker government, he was challenged to implement a complete overhaul of the old system and replace it with a more result oriented programme that has been reinforced by international support. The PNC/R government was guilty of undermining democracy and as such, international help and support was withheld, thereby Guyanese was denied the assistance they so badly needed. Again, the PNC/R will not be spared the rod and Guyanese will not be spoiled, come next election.
At this crucial juncture in the crux of COVID-19, health workers are being ruthlessly misled, instigated to call in sick, tutored to go-slow and encouraged to go on strike. The death rate is ghastly reaching 100 and recorded cases topped the 3,000 mark. No man, woman or child, no ethnicity, no religion, no class and no relationship is being spared from this killer pandemic. Guyana is reeling from this virus that has no certain cure, a country that has limited facilities for treatment, protection and prevention and a country that has recently awakened from a misdirected past administration that has kept the nation in abeyance for some five months. Yet, here is a heartless union that is prepared to throw Guyanese to the wolves without any protection and leave them exposed to certain danger and ultimate death. The union has forgotten that they themselves will be exposed to the end result. Here is a barefaced union that had ample opportunities to take industrial actions in resolving the issues under the previous government but refused to do so because of its affiliation. Now a new baby government is in place and the union wants this government not to crawl, not to walk, but to run immediately. It is so vividly clear that dirty and deadly politics perpetrated and instigated by the PNC/R is once again being injected into the nurses and the nurses cannot distinguish poison from reason, but this is no season for treason! Bob Marley sang, “It’s war in the East and war in the West,” and Harmon declared, “war-break.” It’s more “slo fiya” and “more fiya” as the tyres are starting to burn again in Berbice. It’s time again to play “More Sanctions ABCE.”
Respectfully,
Jai Lall

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